


Leo & Des

by Jaxous



Series: Deaths Blessing [3]
Category: A Matter of Life and Death (Webcomic)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:21:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 25,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24479404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaxous/pseuds/Jaxous
Summary: After their first real date, Leo and Des nervously work through the start of their New relationship.
Relationships: Des Aeva/Leo Spindler
Series: Deaths Blessing [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767973
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Second date awkwarness.

Des looked up from his mixing bowl to find Sam, his very first employee and best friend, leaned against the door way leading out into the café. She stared at him with a calculating gaze that made him uncomfortable.

"What Sam? You have stood there on and off all day staring at me. If you have something to say, just say it already!"

"I have not decided what I want to say yet." She replied.

"Then stop staring! I don't like it." He grumbled.

"Probably shouldn't be wearing more spots on your neck than a cheap whore." She said with a wicked grin.

"SAM!"

"What? Did you actually SEE yourself this morning?!" she came closer to him so no one would hear, "I thought you were just fake dating? This doesn't look very fake, Des."

"Ahh...umm..well. Last night...we had a not so fake date?"

Sam stared at him for a moment before giving his arm a playful smack, "You didn't tell me you were going to ask him out!"

Des blushed, "I didn't. He asked me first."

"So you have sex on a first date? I never took you for easy!"

"I'M NOT! We have been...kind of seeing each other for 4 months if you think about it." Des said.

She looked up at him thoughtfully, "Des, are you falling for him?"

Des covered his face with his hands, "No. I've already fallen. My god, Sam, I'm in over my head. He has not been out of my mind since the day I first looked into his beautiful eyes."

"Over your head, huh? That's saying a lot coming from you." She said. Des lowered his hands enough to give her an annoyed look. She raised her hands in surrender, "Just saying. Sooo, are you sure about this? Are you guys real boyfriends now? Friends with benefits?"

Des covered his face again, "I don't know!"

"Don't you think you should figure all that out before things get really serious? I don't want to see you get hurt, Des."

He sighed and dropped his hands, "Thank you Sam. I'll be careful." He said then bit his lip, "He said he loved me." Des added softly.

Sam's eyes went wide, "Wow. That's a bit fast...did you...?"

"No. I...I hear that so often. I hesitated and he sort of cut me off. " Des said, blushing again.

"Mmhmm, but the real question is...do you?"

"I don't know, it's to soon for that, isn't it?" He asked. Then he sighed, "Like I said, over my head."

"Oh Des. Why him? You have half of Paris chasing you and you haven't even looked twice at anyone until now. Why Leo?" Sam asked.

"You've met him. You can't tell me he's not interesting. He's sweet, thoughtful, funny, a bit goofy at times. I like the way I feel when I'm with him. Not to mention the fact that he is absolutely gorgeous. Those chartreuse eyes, the stars in his hair, his dark skin and those PERFECT muscles...my god, Sam." Des sighed and fanned his face.

Sam laughed, "Ok! I don't dislike him. But I'm not sure he's good enough for my best friend."

"Be nice? Please? Don't scare him away."

"If I can scare him away, he didn't need to be here in the first place." She replied. "It's almost time to close, don't you need to go get pretty?"

Des gave her a mockingly hurt look, "You don't think I'm pretty now?" he asked, laughing when she rolled her eyes. "He will be here at 7. So yes, I need to go get pretty."

"Go, I'll clean this up. Have fun, Des, but be careful. Ok?"

He gave her a warm smile, "I will Sam. I'll see you in the morning. Could you tell him to come up when he gets here?"

"Sure. See you." She said, watching Des head upstairs.

Just before 7, Leo came into the café and looked around for Des. When he couldn't find him, he sat at one of the tables to wait. Usually he would just go check the office, but he was a bit nervous now. He wasn't sure what to expect. On one hand he felt exceptionally stupid for his confession the night before. On the other hand he was amazed he'd had the courage to say the words in any language. _*I didn't even give him a chance to reply*_ Leo scolded himself. Cursing softly, he held his head in his hands. _*Everything was perfect. I should have left it alone. He's gonna run just like everyone else.*_ He thought. He heard someone softly clear their throat and looked up, finding Sam standing next to him.

"Hey Leo. You ok?" she asked.

"Oh, hi Sam. Yeah, I'm fine. Just waiting for Des." He lied.

She narrowed her eyes, "He's upstairs. Asked me to tell you to go on up when you got here."

He sat back a bit. Her expression was making him even more nervous. If that was even possible. "Ahh, thanks." He replied, standing.

"No problem." She said a bit to slowly. "Try to leave some of your activities to the imagination, hm?"

Leo turned bright red and bolted for the stairs leading up to the apartment. He stood outside the door for a moment to collect himself before finally knocking. Des must have been standing very close because the door opened almost immediately. Leo sighed dreamingly as he watched a smile brighten Des face.

"Hello, Leo. Come in." He said, stepping aside.

"Hey...Des." Leo said nervously as he stepped inside and waited while Des locked the door.

When Des turned around, he smiled again and stepped forward to give Leo a hug. Leo misinterpreted the movement and raised up to kiss him The whole exchange ended up quite awkward, making both men wonder exactly what they could do with regards to the other.

Des blushed, "I'm sorry..."

"No, it's me. I guess I'm a bit nervous." Leo replied.

"Why?" Des asked fearfully.

"I uhh...I'm not even sure to be honest. Maybe afraid to make you not want to see me again?" Leo said.

Des covered his mouth for a moment, trying to hide his smile, "Do you want to know a secret?"

Leo looked at him suspiciously, "What secret?"

Des leaned down to whisper into Leos ear, "I fear the same thing." He said. He kissed Leos cheek as he stood completely.

"What could you possibly do to make me not want to see you again?" Leo asked, laughing softly.

"I'm not sure, but the possibility is terrifying to me." Des said.

"Me too! What will we do?"

"Have dinner?" Des asked.

"Dinner would be nice." Leo replied with a bright smile. He carefully reached up with one hand, placing it on Des cheek and with his other, he took the beautiful mans waist and pulled him closer. Leo made sure his intention were clear before pulling Des down and giving him a tender, yet somewhat hesitate kiss.

Des felt lightheaded as their lips met. His heart beat so fast, it would certainly fly right through his chest. He couldn't hold back the small whimper that escaped him when Leo pulled away a moment later. His cheeks were aflame so he didn't let Leo pull away completely and held him in a hug. "I could easily get use to doing that." He whispered.

"I will gladly kiss you any time you like." Leo replied. His cheeks were also very red.

Des stepped back, with an embarrassed smile, "Let's...umm let's have dinner." He said, taking Leos hand and leading him to the table. "I'm sorry, but its not so good as what I offered last night. I lost track of time downstairs and could not do what I intended before you arrived."

Leo smiled, "Don't apologize. You didn't have to prepare anything. I came for your company, not your food. I'm sure whatever you did prepare is far better than what I could do for myself."

"You do not cook?" Des asked as they sat and started the meal.

"Nothing so wonderful as this! I'm a hazard in the kitchen compared to you." He laughed as Des blushed, "I can make simple things but nothing fancy. It's enough that I will not starve anyway."

"Perhaps I could teach you. One day. I...if you like." Des offered. _*Anything to keep you coming back to me.*_

"I would. That sounds like fun. Maybe...Sunday? I'm off work that day." Leo said. _*Please say yes!*_

"I am busy in the morning but if you like, I should be home by 3pm." Des said, mentally cursing himself for making appointments for Sunday. Leo usually worked Sundays so Des begun making what personal appointments he could on that day. He briefly thought of canceling them all but didn't want to appear desperate.

"Are you sure? I don't want to keep you from something important." Leo said. _*Damnit, I wanted the day with him.*_

"I'm sure. I was hoping to spend the afternoon with you anyway." Des said, blushing. _*If I had known...*_

"Oh, well. It works out perfectly then." Leo replied, "Perhaps soon we can have a day together?"

"I would like that very much."

They ate in silence for several minutes. Des wanted to say something but everything they usually talked about suddenly sounded so stupid in his mind. Also, every time he met Leos eyes, a blush came to his face and he forgot how to breath. _*Get it together, Des! It's not like you haven't known him for 4 months.*_ He scolded himself. _*Just have a damn conversation with him. Just like normal. **But things aren't normal anymore! They're very different now!** He's still the same Leo he was yesterday and the day before. **But now I know I want more. Now I wonder if he does. It wasn't so important before.** The easiest thing would be to ask. **It's to soon!***_

While Des was having his internal argument, Leo was having one of his own. _*I hope he doesn't consider these more fake dates. **Of course he does. What do I have to offer him?** I love him. **Me and half of Paris love him.** I am having dinner with him again, we have plans for other times, he enjoys my company. **That does not mean he will ever love me. I was to much a coward to hear what he had to say in response last night.** It doesn't matter. I won't do this again. I'll make sure my interest in him is clear! **He's just going to run away.** He wont! He cares about me! I can see it!*_

Both men had stopped eating and were staring down at their plates, lost in thought.

"H..hey Des?" Leo finally said, abruptly pulling Des out of his thoughts.

"What?! Uhhh, I mean, yes?" He said nervously.

"Umm, I don't want to fake date you any more."

Des felt his heart wither and fall to the floor, "I'm sorry?" he asked as if he had misunderstood . _*But why the hell do you make plans just to say you no longer want to see me?!*_ Des screamed mentally.

"I don't want to fake date you. From now on, I'd like our dates to be real. If...if that's ok with you, I mean." Leo said with a shaking voice.

"Oh! So this is a fake breakup so that we can begin real dating?" Des asked, blushing again.

Leo laughed, "Yes. I no longer want to fake see you." He said. He reached across the table and took Des hand, "I would like to pursue something a bit more real." He said as he slowly brought Des hand to his lips and kissed it.

Des heart went from withered to almost bursting. He didn't believe his cheeks could become a brighter shade of red, and his voice shook so much he could barely speak, "I... I would like that. I would like that very much." He said softly. The smile that spread across Leos face was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

They talked more comfortably after that. Knowing the direction they both wanted to go removed much of the tension between them. Once the meal ended, Des realized he hadn't thought much past dinner and just being with Leo. After a quick moment of panic, he asked if Leo would like to watch a movie or tv show and they ended up seated on his large couch playfully bickering over what to watch.

"What about that one?" Leo asked, indicating a crime drama.

"Gah, I hate those. How about this? Sam said it was pretty good." Des said, bringing up the description of a romantic comedy.

"Yeah, I think we're living a romantic comedy right now, Des." Leo replied, leaning over to kiss Des on the cheek.

Des blushed, "Yes. I suppose, in a way, we are. Oh, what about this? I saw a commercial the other day, I think it could be interesting." He said. It was a special revolving around deep sea creatures on a nature channel.

"Yes! I wanted to see this. I love this channel." Leo said, smiling brightly.

 _*He's so damn cute*_ Des thought as he selected the show and sat back. "Would you like anything before it comes on? A drink or something sweet for dessert?"

Leo put his arm around Des and pulled him close, "I already have something sweet." He said taking Des chin with his free hand and gently pulling him in for a kiss.

Des closed his eyes and was swept away by the feeling of Leos lips pressed to his. It was much different than the kisses they shared the night before. Last night had been hot and fast, almost desperate. Like they both needed to get it out of their system. Not that Des hadn't enjoyed it but he was glad to know there was a gentler side to Leos affection. Though in the back of his mind a part of him was screaming for Leo to just ravish him right then and there.

Leo slowly deepened the kiss, opening his mouth slightly to allow their tongues to play and pulled Des even closer now with both arms wrapped around the slim, beautiful man. Des helped by sliding closer on the couch, almost into Leos lap. His arms slid around Leos body almost on their own.

Leo felt himself becoming lost in the moment and knew he would have to stop soon. He wanted Des, he wanted him a lot. But he refused to give the impression that he only wanted the other mans body. *But by

Des looked up from his mixing bowl to find Sam, his very first employee and best friend, leaned against the door way leading out into the café. She stared at him with a calculating gaze that made him uncomfortable.

"What Sam? You have stood there on and off all day staring at me. If you have something to say, just say it already!"

"I have not decided what I want to say yet." She replied.

"Then stop staring! I don't like it." He grumbled.

"Probably shouldn't be wearing more spots on your neck than a cheap whore." She said with a wicked grin.

"SAM!"

"What? Did you actually SEE yourself this morning?!" she came closer to him so no one would hear, "I thought you were just fake dating? This doesn't look very fake, Des."

"Ahh...umm..well. Last night...we had a not so fake date?"

Sam stared at him for a moment before giving his arm a playful smack, "You didn't tell me you were going to ask him out!"

Des blushed, "I didn't. He asked me first."

"So you have sex on a first date? I never took you for easy!"

"I'M NOT! We have been...kind of seeing each other for 4 months if you think about it." Des said.

She looked up at him thoughtfully, "Des, are you falling for him?"

Des covered his face with his hands, "No. I've already fallen. My god, Sam, I'm in over my head. He has not been out of my mind since the day I first looked into his beautiful eyes."

"Over your head, huh? That's saying a lot coming from you." She said. Des lowered his hands enough to give her an annoyed look. She raised her hands in surrender, "Just saying. Sooo, are you sure about this? Are you guys real boyfriends now? Friends with benefits?"

Des covered his face again, "I don't know!"

"Don't you think you should figure all that out before things get really serious? I don't want to see you get hurt, Des."

He sighed and dropped his hands, "Thank you Sam. I'll be careful." He said then bit his lip, "He said he loved me." Des added softly.

Sam's eyes went wide, "Wow. That's a bit fast...did you...?"

"No. I...I hear that so often. I hesitated and he sort of cut me off. " Des said, blushing again.

"Mmhmm, but the real question is...do you?"

"I don't know, it's to soon for that, isn't it?" He asked. Then he sighed, "Like I said, over my head."

"Oh Des. Why him? You have half of Paris chasing you and you haven't even looked twice at anyone until now. Why Leo?" Sam asked.

"You've met him. You can't tell me he's not interesting. He's sweet, thoughtful, funny, a bit goofy at times. I like the way I feel when I'm with him. Not to mention the fact that he is absolutely gorgeous. Those chartreuse eyes, the stars in his hair, his dark skin and those PERFECT muscles...my god, Sam." Des sighed and fanned his face.

Sam laughed, "Ok! I don't dislike him. But I'm not sure he's good enough for my best friend."

"Be nice? Please? Don't scare him away."

"If I can scare him away, he didn't need to be here in the first place." She replied. "It's almost time to close, don't you need to go get pretty?"

Des gave her a mockingly hurt look, "You don't think I'm pretty now?" he asked, laughing when she rolled her eyes. "He will be here at 7. So yes, I need to go get pretty."

"Go, I'll clean this up. Have fun, Des, but be careful. Ok?"

He gave her a warm smile, "I will Sam. I'll see you in the morning. Could you tell him to come up when he gets here?"

"Sure. See you." She said, watching Des head upstairs.

Just before 7, Leo came into the café and looked around for Des. When he couldn't find him, he sat at one of the tables to wait. Usually he would just go check the office, but he was a bit nervous now. He wasn't sure what to expect. On one hand he felt exceptionally stupid for his confession the night before. On the other hand he was amazed he'd had the courage to say the words in any language. _*I didn't even give him a chance to reply*_ Leo scolded himself. Cursing softly, he held his head in his hands. _*Everything was perfect. I should have left it alone. He's gonna run just like everyone else.*_ He thought. He heard someone softly clear their throat and looked up, finding Sam standing next to him.

"Hey Leo. You ok?" she asked.

"Oh, hi Sam. Yeah, I'm fine. Just waiting for Des." He lied.

She narrowed her eyes, "He's upstairs. Asked me to tell you to go on up when you got here."

He sat back a bit. Her expression was making him even more nervous. If that was even possible. "Ahh, thanks." He replied, standing.

"No problem." She said a bit to slowly. "Try to leave some of your activities to the imagination, hm?"

Leo turned bright red and bolted for the stairs leading up to the apartment. He stood outside the door for a moment to collect himself before finally knocking. Des must have been standing very close because the door opened almost immediately. Leo sighed dreamingly as he watched a smile brighten Des face.

"Hello, Leo. Come in." He said, stepping aside.

"Hey...Des." Leo said nervously as he stepped inside and waited while Des locked the door.

When Des turned around, he smiled again and stepped forward to give Leo a hug. Leo misinterpreted the movement and raised up to kiss him The whole exchange ended up quite awkward, making both men wonder exactly what they could do with regards to the other.

Des blushed, "I'm sorry..."

"No, it's me. I guess I'm a bit nervous." Leo replied.

"Why?" Des asked fearfully.

"I uhh...I'm not even sure to be honest. Maybe afraid to make you not want to see me again?" Leo said.

Des covered his mouth for a moment, trying to hide his smile, "Do you want to know a secret?"

Leo looked at him suspiciously, "What secret?"

Des leaned down to whisper into Leos ear, "I fear the same thing." He said. He kissed Leos cheek as he stood completely.

"What could you possibly do to make me not want to see you again?" Leo asked, laughing softly.

"I'm not sure, but the possibility is terrifying to me." Des said.

"Me too! What will we do?"

"Have dinner?" Des asked.

"Dinner would be nice." Leo replied with a bright smile. He carefully reached up with one hand, placing it on Des cheek and with his other, he took the beautiful mans waist and pulled him closer. Leo made sure his intention were clear before pulling Des down and giving him a tender, yet somewhat hesitate kiss.

Des felt lightheaded as their lips met. His heart beat so fast, it would certainly fly right through his chest. He couldn't hold back the small whimper that escaped him when Leo pulled away a moment later. His cheeks were aflame so he didn't let Leo pull away completely and held him in a hug. "I could easily get use to doing that." He whispered.

"I will gladly kiss you any time you like." Leo replied. His cheeks were also very red.

Des stepped back, with an embarrassed smile, "Let's...umm let's have dinner." He said, taking Leos hand and leading him to the table. "I'm sorry, but its not so good as what I offered last night. I lost track of time downstairs and could not do what I intended before you arrived."

Leo smiled, "Don't apologize. You didn't have to prepare anything. I came for your company, not your food. I'm sure whatever you did prepare is far better than what I could do for myself."

"You do not cook?" Des asked as they sat and started the meal.

"Nothing so wonderful as this! I'm a hazard in the kitchen compared to you." He laughed as Des blushed, "I can make simple things but nothing fancy. It's enough that I will not starve anyway."

"Perhaps I could teach you. One day. I...if you like." Des offered. _*Anything to keep you coming back to me.*_

"I would. That sounds like fun. Maybe...Sunday? I'm off work that day." Leo said. _*Please say yes!*_

"I am busy in the morning but if you like, I should be home by 3pm." Des said, mentally cursing himself for making appointments for Sunday. Leo usually worked Sundays so Des begun making what personal appointments he could on that day. He briefly thought of canceling them all but didn't want to appear desperate.

"Are you sure? I don't want to keep you from something important." Leo said. _*Damnit, I wanted the day with him.*_

"I'm sure. I was hoping to spend the afternoon with you anyway." Des said, blushing. _*If I had known...*_

"Oh, well. It works out perfectly then." Leo replied, "Perhaps soon we can have a day together?"

"I would like that very much."

They ate in silence for several minutes. Des wanted to say something but everything they usually talked about suddenly sounded so stupid in his mind. Also, every time he met Leos eyes, a blush came to his face and he forgot how to breath. _*Get it together, Des! It's not like you haven't known him for 4 months.*_ He scolded himself. _*Just have a damn conversation with him. Just like normal._ _ **But things aren't normal anymore! They're very different now!**_ _He's still the same Leo he was yesterday and the day before._ _ **But now I know I want more. Now I wonder if he does. It wasn't so important before.**_ _The easiest thing would be to ask._ _ **It's to soon!**_ _*_

While Des was having his internal argument, Leo was having one of his own. _*I hope he doesn't consider these more fake dates._ _ **Of course he does. What do I have to offer him?**_ _I love him._ _ **Me and half of Paris love him.**_ _I am having dinner with him again, we have plans for other times, he enjoys my company ._ _ **That does not mean he will ever love me. I was to much a coward to hear what he had to say in response last night.**_ _It doesn't matter. I won't do this again. I'll make sure my interest in him is clear!_ _ **He's just going to run away.**_ _He wont! He cares about me! I can see it!*_

Both men had stopped eating and were staring down at their plates, lost in thought.

"H..hey Des?" Leo finally said, abruptly pulling Des out of his thoughts.

"What?! Uhhh, I mean, yes?" He said nervously.

"Umm, I don't want to fake date you any more."

Des felt his heart wither and fall to the floor, "I'm sorry?" he asked as if he had misunderstood . _*But why the hell do you make plans just to say you no longer want to see me?!*_ Des screamed mentally.

"I don't want to fake date you. From now on, I'd like our dates to be real. If...if that's ok with you, I mean." Leo said with a shaking voice.

"Oh! So this is a fake breakup so that we can begin real dating?" Des asked, blushing again.

Leo laughed, "Yes. I no longer want to fake see you." He said. He reached across the table and took Des hand, "I would like to pursue something a bit more real." He said as he slowly brought Des hand to his lips and kissed it.

Des heart went from withered to almost bursting. He didn't believe his cheeks could become a brighter shade of red, and his voice shook so much he could barely speak, "I... I would like that. I would like that very much." He said softly. The smile that spread across Leos face was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

They talked more comfortably after that. Knowing the direction they both wanted to go removed much of the tension between them. Once the meal ended, Des realized he hadn't thought much past dinner and just being with Leo. After a quick moment of panic, he asked if Leo would like to watch a movie or tv show and they ended up seated on his large couch playfully bickering over what to watch.

"What about that one?" Leo asked, indicating a crime drama.

"Gah, I hate those. How about this? Sam said it was pretty good." Des said, bringing up the description of a romantic comedy.

"Yeah, I think we're living a romantic comedy right now, Des." Leo replied, leaning over to kiss Des on the cheek.

Des blushed, "Yes. I suppose, in a way, we are. Oh, what about this? I saw a commercial the other day, I think it could be interesting." He said. It was a special revolving around deep sea creatures on a nature channel.

"Yes! I wanted to see this. I love this channel." Leo said, smiling brightly.

 _*He's so damn cute*_ Des thought as he selected the show and sat back. "Would you like anything before it comes on? A drink or something sweet for dessert?"

Leo put his arm around Des and pulled him close, "I already have something sweet." He said taking Des chin with his free hand and gently pulling him in for a kiss.

Des closed his eyes and was swept away by the feeling of Leos lips pressed to his. It was much different than the kisses they shared the night before. Last night had been hot and fast, almost desperate. Like they both needed to get it out of their system. Not that Des hadn't enjoyed it but he was glad to know there was a gentler side to Leos affection. Though in the back of his mind a part of him was screaming for Leo to just ravish him right then and there.

Leo slowly deepened the kiss, opening his mouth slightly to allow their tongues to play and pulled Des even closer now with both arms wrapped around the slim, beautiful man. Des helped by sliding closer on the couch, almost into Leos lap. His arms slid around Leos body almost on their own.

Leo felt himself becoming lost in the moment and knew he would have to stop soon. He wanted Des, he wanted him a lot. But he refused to give the impression that he only wanted the other mans body. _*But by all the gods...what a body!*_ he thought. Finally, he was forced to pull away, anymore and he wouldn't be able to stop himself. He separated their lips but stayed close, keeping his forehead pressed to Des', "I don't think anything exists that could compare to your sweet kiss." He said softly.

Des bit his bottom lip trying to control himself and briefly considered wearing makeup on their next date so he wouldn't stay completely red as he was now. "Hush, Leo. You make me blush. I must look like a tomato."

"I think it's adorable when you blush." Leo said, softly caressing Des cheek.

Des put his hands on either side of Leo's face and held him still while he kissed his forehead then another quick kiss on his lips. "Your show is on, lets watch." He said with a smile.

When Leo sat back, Des (feeling a bit brave) lay down enough on the couch so that he could rest his head on Leos chest and hug him around the waist.

Leo froze for a moment while Des got comfortable. He looked up at the ceiling and mouthed 'OH MY GOD!' This beautiful man was now laying on his chest and hugging him like a favorite teddy bear. Des was going to drive him insane!! With his heart trying to leap from his chest, Leo hesitantly rested his hand on Des shoulder then slid down his side until he found a spot that was comfortable. He carefully took a deep breath and lay his other hand on the slender arm around his waist. "Are...umm...are you comfortable?" he asked, glad there wasn't TOO much shake in his voice.

"Very comfortable. You?" Des replied contentedly.

"Ahh, yeah. Perfect." He said. Des let out a pleased 'Hmmm' sound and focused on the show. Leo watched the tv, only partially paying attention due to the man next to him. It was half way through the show before he was finally able to relax and it wasn't long after that he was absently combing his fingers through Des hair. He smiled when he heard Des sigh.

Des kept his eyes glued to the tv but his mind was focused on the man in his arms. He could hear Leos heart beating wildly and in a way, it comforted Des to know that Leo was just as nervous as him. Eventually though, Leos heartbeat calmed to a more normal rhythm and Des could feel his muscles (those gorgeous perfect muscles) begin to relax. Then out of nowhere, Leo began running his fingers through Des hair. Des suppressed the shiver that threatened to run through his body at Leos touch. He forgot how to breathe for a moment. It had been years since anyone but his stylist had touched his hair. If they were in public, his reaction would be much different. But here and now? Des was in heaven. When he finally remembered to breathe again, he sighed softly and in a few minutes, he was falling asleep to the relaxing feeling of Leo's fingers in his hair.

When the show ended Leo figured he should go home. It had been a lovely evening and he didn't want to push things to fast. He sat still for a few minutes since Des didn't seem in a hurry to move...unless, Leo raised up enough to look at his face. Yup, Des was sound asleep. Leo grinned so wide his cheeks hurt. Des was so adorable when he was asleep. Leo knew he should go home but he did not want to wake the sleeping beauty on his chest. He sat there for a long while trying to decide what to do. The decision was made for him, though, when Des began to stir. Leo gently rubbed Des back as he woke, "Hey, sleepy head." he said softly. He felt Des tense then he shot up and slid back on the couch away from him. "Hey! Hey, it's ok. It's just me. You fell asleep."

Des eyes focused on the man sitting on his couch. He'd woke from a lovely dream about Leo to feel someone rub his back and hear a voice, both of which startled his sleepy mind. After a second he remembered that the dream wasn't really a dream but a replay of the evening he'd spent with Leo. Des covered his face in embarrassment, "Oh god, I fell asleep. I'm so sorry. That's terribly rude."

"No, you're fine. I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to do so. Don't worry about it. I guess it's partially my fault anyway. We didn't sleep much last night." Leo said blushing.

Des put his hands in his lap and gave Leo a shy smile, "Well, to be honest, it was you playing with my hair that did it." Des said softly.

Leo smiled back, "Oh...well, I guess all of the blame is mine then." he said. He reached his hand out to Des and when he took it, Leo pulled him back close. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"It's alright. You didn't mean to."

"As much as I hate to, I should probably go home. It's getting late." Leo said. He did not want to go home. Not at all.

Des bit his lip and looked down at his hands, "You don't have to go. If you don't want to." he said softly.

 _*Ohhhh you're killing me Des!*_ Leo thought. "That's good to know. But I really need to go home." He said. He reached up and put his hand to Des cheek, rubbing his thumb under his eye. "I don't want to be the reason there are circles under these beautiful eyes."

Des put his hand over Leos and turned his head slightly, kissing his palm, "I think you are far too charming, Mr. Spindler." He said.

Leo smiled and pulled him in for a kiss. It was such a soft, sweet kiss that asked for nothing in return but left Des wanting so much and he was slightly ashamed of the quiet whimper that escaped him when Leo pulled away. He really had to stop doing that.

"Will you miss me a little?" Leo asked.

"I think more than a little." Des answered.

Leo smiled, "That's...umm...that's good."

"And me?" Des asked hopefully.

"I will miss you greatly." Leo replied.

Des gave him a mockingly serious look, "As you should." He said, before braking the façade by giggling.

Leo narrowed his eyes, "Get over here!" he said as he grabbed Des and pulled him into his lap. He held Des captive as he playfully gnawed on his neck.

Des laughed and tried to get away, though not to hard. "That tickles! Stop! Leo!" he cried.

Leo chewed his way up to Des ear and nipped gently at it, "You will not use that tone with me, sir."

"My apologies. Would you forgive me for a kiss?" Des asked, giving him a coy smile.

"Depends on the kiss."

Des took Leo's face in his hands and kissed him deeply, though not in a way that demanded anything more but certainly gave the invitation. After a long moment, Des pulled away, "Was that sufficient?" he asked, breathing a bit heavy.

"Sufficient for what? What were we talking about?" Leo mumbled. "I forgot."

Des smiled, "Nothing, my sweet." He said and hugged him.

 _*My god, I have to get out of here now or I'll never leave.*_ Leo thought. "I really should go, Des. I can see you tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Des..."

"Hmm?"

"I'm not complaining, but I can't go home with you wrapped around me like this." Leo said chuckling.

"Oh!" Des said letting Leo go and moving from his lap. "Sorry." He said, blushing yet again.

"Don't apologize when you do nothing wrong, beautiful." Leo said as he stood.

Des rose to stand next to Leo, "Sor.."

Leo put a finger over his lips, "Don't. Apologize." He said slowly. Then he replaced the finger with his lips in a much to quick kiss. "I will see you tomorrow."

Des nodded, "Ok." He said softly. Leo took his hand and they slowly made their way downstairs to the café. Des opened the back door and they just stood there in an awkward silence for a moment before Des leaned down and gave Leo a long, deep kiss. He pulled away and kissed his forehead before stepping back , "Until tomorrow, my sweet." _*I think I love you.*_

Leo hesitated, he really didn't want to leave and his resolve was crumbling, "Yes, until tomorrow..." he said softly. _*I love you.*_ Leo walked away, backwards at first, not wanting to look away from Des.

"Leo, be careful. You'll fall." Des said.

"I already have." He replied with out thinking then blushed when he realized.

Des blushed as well but remained silent, to afraid to respond. Leo gave him a smile and waved before turning around and making his way to the park. Des watched him until he was out of sight before closing the door and resting his head against it.

"It's to soon to be in love, Des." He said out loud. He stood there a moment longer before heading upstairs and cleaning up the dishes. Later as he lay in bed, he smiled as he replayed the evening in his mind. Leo seemed genuine in his desire for something real. He would wait and see, though. Better to be safe than end up heartbroken...again. Despite his apprehension, Des still managed to fall asleep with a smile, knowing he would see Leo tomorrow.

****

Leo walked through the park to clear his mind a bit before calling a taxi. Four months of fake dating and two real dates. That's how much he had with Des. He wanted more, much more. He wanted everything.

"I already have? Leo, you idiot." He said to himself. "It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't completely true." He mumbled.

Leo had fallen hard and fast for Des. All he could do was hope that one day Des would fall for him too. He could tell that Des cared about him, but love was something else entirely. _*I won't mess up this time. I won't scare him away like the others._ * he thought as he called a taxi and sat on a bench. A thought struck him and he laughed out loud. * _Oh what a fine time to work on my self confidence issues when I'm dating the most beautiful man in Paris!*_

****

Des moved as if in a dream the next morning. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so happy and he couldn't wait to see Leo walk through the door again. He decided to stay in the back again today to avoid the nasty looks and slightly too loud comments about the marks on his neck. He didn't want anything to spoil how he felt today.

The one thing that did threatened his good mood, however, was the one thing he couldn't hide from. "Sam, I am not going to deal with this again today. Say what you have to say and get it over with." He warned the tiny blond woman who watched him from the doorway.

"You know, you take all of the fun out of things." She replied as she moved to stand beside him. She started helping him gather ingredients for the pastry dough he would be making. "How was your date?"

"It was lovely."

"And? What happened?" she asked.

"Nothing 'happened' we had dinner, watched some tv, talked and he went home. A very normal date." Des said.

"That's it?"

"Oh, well he did break up with me." Des said, giving her a bright smile.

She gave him an astonished look, "WHAT?!"

Des laughed, "He ended our fake relationship. He said he'd like to pursue something a bit more real."

"Oh! Declared his intentions! He's very bold." Sam said.

"I spent half the night red as a tomato or unable to breathe for my nerves! He's so damn charming!" Des said with a sigh.

"He seemed very nervous when I spoke with him last night."

Des smiled, "He was. We were very awkward with each other when he first arrived. It would have been a much different night had he not fake broken up with me."

"Well. I'm glad you know where things stand but you still need to be careful." She said.

"I know. As much as I love being with him, I'm terrified. I've not been with anyone in a long time. I don't want to mess this up."

"I don't think you will. I'm not saying things will work out, but you won't be the cause."

Des gave her a half smile, "Thanks for trying, Sam."

"No problem. Now, get your mind off of Leo and onto these pastries! Were running low on the blueberry lemon tarts!" Sam ordered.

Des made a face, "Yes ma'am." He said sarcastically.

****

Leo woke a later than he planned to the next morning. He wanted to go by the café before work but wouldn't have time now. Hopefully his tours for the day would allow him to be close by around lunch so he could visit. He'd found lately that any day he didn't see Des usually ended on a bad note. Leo hoped, now that he'd made his intentions clear, he wouldn't have to many of those days. As he left his apartment to go to work he took out his phone to text Des.

Leo: Good morning, beautiful. As promised, I miss you greatly.

Des: Good morning. I miss you too, though a bit less than before you message me.

Leo: Ummm, good thing or bad thing?

Des: You make me blush, Leo. Now Sam is laughing and harassing me.

Leo: I can't apologize for making you blush. It's to adorable.

Des: Damnit, Leo...will you come for breakfast?

Leo: I wanted to. But I woke up late. Maybe for lunch, if I'm close enough.

Des: Aw, ok. Well, have a good day, my sweet. I need to go kill Sam now. I will see you later. Xoxo

Leo: If you watched the crime dramas you would not get caught! Xoxo

Des: 🖕

Leo laughed at the last message. _*I'll be there for lunch of it kills me, my Des.*_ Leo thought.

Hours later after pushing his tour to be where he wanted, when he wanted, he entered the Café with a large red rose and headed toward the counter. Des had his back to the room as he prepared orders and hadn't noticed him yet. As he approached one of the tables he noticed the waitresses attending it looked very uncomfortable. He slowed a bit then saw why, the man at the table had his hand on her ass. As Leo watched the man finished order and patted her ass, the poor girl looked ready to cry. She tried to back away but the guy wouldn't let her go.

"Get your fucking hands off of her." Leo stated as calmly as he could.

The man looked up at him and sneered, "Mind your business. Take your rose and get in line for the pretty boy just like everyone else."

Leo reached out and pulled the waitress away from the man and put himself between her and the creep, "I think you should leave. I doubt very seriously that Des wants trash like you in his café." Leo said. His anger was burning him, he wanted to beat the man for how he behaved in Des café.

"I'm not going anywhere until I have my coffee," he looked behind Leo, "And maybe something else."

The poor girl started sobbing behind him and that was it, Leos temper snapped, "You will leave, or I will throw you out on your ass!"

Des noticed the altercation and approached the table, "Is there a problem gentleman?" he asked calmly.

The creep spoke first, "Yeah, your little admirer here is threatening me."

Before Des could ask the question, Leo answered, "He had his hand on her. He wouldn't let her leave the table." He said. He was shaking with anger and praying to all the gods that Des would throw the guy out.

Des walked to his waitress and whispered something to her as he smoothed her hair back from her face. She nodded and hurried to the back, walking far away from the creep at the table. Des turned to the man and Leo saw such a coldness in his eyes it even made him shiver, "You will leave my establishment and not come back. If I ever see you here again I will call the police. I will personally be taking her in to make a report of what happen today. Now leave."

"You can't make me." The man said.

Des smiled, such a cold, cruel smile, the man became nervous, "I could." He said so softly no one was sure of what he said. Then he turned to Leo and ran a finger down his cheek, "I will give that privilege to my darling Leo."

Leo smiled at the man and took his fighting stance, "I'm ready when you are." He said. The creep was out the door as fast as his legs could carry him.

Des took a deep breath and addressed the crowd of people now holding their breaths. "My apologies for the disturbance. I wish to make one thing very clear. Anyone who harasses or touches my employees will be permanently banned from Café Ardent and face the possibility of legal action. I will not allow inappropriate behavior in my café. Thank you and please enjoy your coffee."

Des took Leos hand and lead him to the back to his office. Before they could get there, Leo was almost tackled by the waitress as she embraced him, "Thank you Leo!" she said, still sobbing.

Leo looked up at Des with wide eyes before returning the hug, "Hey, it's ok. Don't cry. That creep won't be coming back. Don't worry."

Des put a hand on her shoulder, "Darling I'm so sorry you had to go through that. Come sit in my office and calm down for a bit. Then we will go file a report at the police station."

"No, I don't want to cause any trouble." She said.

Des narrowed his eyes at her, "You did not cause any. That piece of shit who was touching you, did. I will help you deal with it."

"I'll go too. I was a witness. We will both be right beside you." Leo said.

"Please, trust me on this. I have dealt with people like him my entire life. The best thing you can do is file a report. You don't have to file charges, just a report. Have a record of it just in case." Des said. The girl nodded and Des lead her to his office, coming out a moment later to make her a lavender tea to help her calm down.

Leo stepped away to call his boss to explain the situation and was given the afternoon off to take care of things.

Des gave the girl the tea and told her he would be back in a few minutes. He left the office and headed straight to his apartment, moving quickly.

Leo managed to catch him just before he closed the apartment door, "Hey, are you ok?"

"I need a moment alone, Leo."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Leo, please...I can't..."

Leo pushed his way in and closed the door, "Come here." He said and pulled Des into his arms.

Des held him tight for a moment before pushing him away, "Please go. I need just a moment. Please."

"I'm not leaving you ,Des." Leo said.

Des fought very hard to keep himself under control. He wanted to rage, throw things, break things. But Leo refused to leave and Des refused to show anyone that side of himself. "Why are you so fucking stubborn?!" He snapped.

"Because you need someone right now. Might as well be me. You're not the only one who's pissed off. I wanted to beat that bastard into the ground. Had we not been in the café, I would have before even speaking." Leo said.

"I know. I...I just need to calm myself. It's very difficult to do around you." Des said softly.

"Let me hold you."

Des smiled, "I know you mean well, but being in your arms might actually make me feel worse."

Leos face seemed to fall, "Oh...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..."

"No silly man." Des began. "Not for what your thinking. It's just that what I want from you right now, what it would take for YOU to calm me...we don't have time for."

Leos eyes widened then he blushed deeply, "Oh...umm. Maybe when we get back...if you're still upset..."

"You tease me Mr. Spindler." Des said with a wicked grin.

Leo was very nervous but couldn't pass the chance to flirt with Des, "Not yet, but I could later."

Des approached him slowly but stayed just out of reach, "You tease me by just being in the same room and not wrapped around me."

Leo smiled, "Well, come here and I will stop teasing you."

"No." Des said softly, "As much as I may wish to...we have something more important to do right now."

Leo nodded, "You're right. We'll go take care of her then maybe you can let me take care of you?" he asked, holding out his hand, offering the rose he'd almost forgot about.

Des smiled and took the flower. "Thank you." He said as he smelled the rose, "You really are too charming, my Leo."

"I'll take that as a yes to my question." He said. He took Des hand and lead him down the stairs so they could hurry and be finished with the unpleasant business before them.

****

Leo and Des climbed the stairs up the café apartment, both mentally drained from the stressful day. Leo carried several take out boxes as neither of them felt much like preparing anything (not that Leo would dare try). Des went straight to the refrigerator, pulled out a bottle of wine and filled 2 glasses while Leo set out the food. They ate in silence for a while and Leo noticed that unlike the night of their first real date, Des was drinking his glass quickly tonight.

"Umm, out of curiosity...are you ok to drink that much so fast?" he asked.

Des smiled, "With wine I can drink a small glass, like this, quickly and be just over tipsy. 2 glasses to fast and I will be drunk. Very drunk and if I'm lucky, fall asleep. If I take my time, I can drink 2 glasses over several hours and keep a soft buzz."

"Wow, you've tested this." Leo laughed.

"Thoroughly" Des replied.

"And you feel like being tipsy right now?"

"Yes. I do. I hope that's ok with you."

"Are you a mean drunk?" Leo asked.

"No. I'm told I get quite...silly. When I don't just pass out all together." Des said blushing.

Leo studied him carefully, "Interesting."

"Don't get any ideas. I'm not getting drunk."

"No ideas here. Well, plenty of ideas, but not about that." Leo replied.

Des made a face at him and continued eating. When they finished their meal, Leo helped clean up despite Des arguing about it. Then Des took his hand and lead him down a small hallway and into his bedroom. The room was large, open and felt...peaceful. The walls were painted a light gray and there were black curtains over the windows. The thick, soft carpet covering the floor was a darker grey. The bed in the center of the room was huge and made up with a black bedding set that looked soft and comfortable. Leo watched, not sure what to do, as Des kicked off his boots and pulled off his vest and scarf, throwing them in a plush arm chair in the corner near the closet.

Des went to the bed and collapsed onto it.

He looked to Leo and held out his hand, "Make yourself comfortable, my sweet. Does your offer to hold me still stand?"

Leo smiled, "It always will." He said as he removed his boots and light jacket he kept tied around his waist. He crawled onto the bed and lay next to Des. "Your room is very...calming." He said with a sigh.

Des moved over and lay his head on Leos chest, "Thank you. It's my hideaway. No stress allowed." He said softly. "You're the first person I've allowed in here." He added absently.

Leo eyes widened. _*Holy shit! Wow!*_ he thought. "Really?" he asked.

"Mmhmm. I do not like people in my space. Even my closest friends have only been in my apartment a few times. Oh, correction, you're the second person. Sam came in once, but that was an emergency and I wasn't thinking clearly at the time." Des replied.

"I'm not people?"

Des smiled, "No. You're my Leo."

 _*Maybe it's the wine.*_ Leo kissed the top of Des head, "Are you feeling better? I was worried for you earlier."

"Better by the minute now."

"Good. I'm glad. I didn't like seeing you so upset and stressed."

Des sighed and raised up on his elbow to look at Leo, "I didn't like you seeing me like that. I never want you to see me like that." He said softly. He put his hand to Leo's cheek, "Leo...please don't do that again. I have...a bit of a temper. I don't show it, at least not often and not anywhere near the actual degree. I walk away for a reason. I don't want to be near anyone when I'm upset. Especially you. Please, if I ask you to leave or give me time, do so."

"Then we may have a problem. I don't walk away from people I care about when they need me. I won't start now. Come to me when you need to. I'll be there for you. If you let me. You won't hurt me Des. I'm not afraid of you or your temper." Leo replied, looking up at Des.

He rested his forehead on Leos chest, "I'm afraid of it." He said almost to quietly.

"Why? What happened?"

Des sat up shaking his head, "What would you like to cook on Sunday?" He asked, plastering a bright smile on his face. His eyes begged Leo not to push further.

Leo sighed and put his hands behind his head, "I don't know. You should probably start me off with something easy."

Des seemed to relax again and he sat cross-legged facing Leo, with his elbows resting on his knees. "Well, what can you cook now?"

"Hmmm, not much. Simple breakfast things, eggs and bacon, that kind of stuff. Meatloaf, spaghetti?" he said.

"Simple things. Ok. Perhaps a casserole?" Des suggested.

"Ok. Whatever you think is best." Leo said, giving him a bright smile, "Hey, it's still early. Do you want to go for a walk?"

"I would love to. In a few minutes though." Des said, resuming his previous position with his head on Leo's chest.

Leo chuckled, "We can stay in if you want. It was just a suggestion."

"I'll let you know." Des sighed.

Leo kissed the top of his head again, "Ok, baby."

"Leo..."

"Yes?"

"You're not very good with subtle hints are you?"

"Ahh, what?"

Des raised up and propped his head on one hand and gave Leo a...look, "Your in my room. On my bed. I specifically told you that you're the ONLY person I've ever brought in here. Into my most personal and private space."

Leo looked at him confused, "Yeah..."

Des sighed, "Ok. Lets try this..." he said as he crawled to the night stand. He opened one of the drawers and removed something then moved back next to Leo and placed the item on his chest then looked at him expectantly.

Curious at Des behavior, Leo lifted whatever it was, looked at it and blushed bright red. It was a bottle of lubricant. "Ahh. Umm. Yeah, subtle isn't my strong suit"

"I'll remember that." Des replied, biting his lower lip.

"You...you could have just said...or kissed me...copped a feel...something." Leo rambled a bit, very embarrassed not to have realized what Des was asking for.

Des narrowed his eyes, a bit annoyed. "Alright." he said.

Before Leo could register what was happening, Des was kissing him and he felt a hand sliding down the front of his pants and start doing wayyy more than just copping a feel. After several very hot moments, Des pulled away from Leo's lips and kissed up to his ear, "I want you, Leo."

Leos mind exploded and he let out a loud groan as Des removed his hand from his pants and started opening them. Leo pulled Des face to his and locked their lips together. He moved Des on top of him and the beautiful man rolled his hips in the most perfect way, driving Leo that much closer to insanity.

"Oh god, Des!" he moaned as Des repeated the motion. Leo started working on the buttons of Des shirt while Des slid his hands under Leos in attempt to remove it. Leo sat up, pulled his shirt off and threw it some random direction before reclaiming the lips of the intoxicating man above him. He managed about half of the buttons on Des shirt before loosing patience and sliding the shirt off his shoulders. He pulled away, stared up into Des beautiful amber eyes and immediately became lost. How was he here? With someone so perfect and beautiful in so many ways. Leo smiled and bit his lower lips, suddenly embarrassed.

Des stared down into Leos gorgeous chartreuse eyes. Why was he looking at him like that? He looked amazed, almost...astonished.

Des put his hand on Leos cheek, "Leo, my love, are you alright?"

 _*My love...*_ Leo thought. His heart did flips when the words left Des lips. It wasn't the same as hearing 'I love you' but it was pretty damn close. "I'm perfect..." he replied softly. He slid his hands up Des back, pulling him close so he could claim those lips that had just spoken words so close to what he wanted to hear. Leo kissed him slowly, gently and quite thoroughly. He wasn't in a hurry now. Now he wanted to show Des how he felt. He wanted to make love to the man in his arms, not just have sex with him. He prayed Des would realize the difference and understand.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Des makes a midnight confession then spends a lot of time contemplating his existence.

Des lay next to Leo, propped up on one elbow, watching the gorgeous man sleep. Something had changed between Des saying 'take me' and Leo actually taking.

Now Des couldn't sleep because of it. No one had ever made him feel this way before and it was damn confusing.

 _*I don't know what I'm feeling. Have I ever really been in love?*_ he thought as he ever so lightly caressed Leos cheek.

"I don't know what this is I feel for you." He said, barely whispering. "If I love you, then I've been a horrible liar to those in my past whom I claimed to love. I have never felt this way before and I am very unsure of what is happening. One thing I am sure of though, my sweet, beautiful Leo, is I never want to be away from you. I guess I'm a something of a coward for not saying this to you while you're awake. I apologize, but I'm not good with my feelings. I hope with all my heart that you are a patient man and you give me time to know this feeling. Because if this is love...I want nothing more in my life than this, with you." He finished, gently kissing Leos forehead and finally letting his head rest on the pillow. He felt a little better after his midnight confession to his sleeping...what was Leo? They weren't boyfriends, not really. But it was definitely more than friends or even friends with benefits. Des sighed, that was something that really didn't matter right now, maybe once he figured out his feelings. He yawned softly and wiggled around a bit to get comfortable before finally falling asleep.

***

Leo felt around the large bed, looking for something better and more beautiful than a pillow to cuddle with. He whimpered softly, not wanting to open his eyes and face the emptiness of the large bed despite knowing Des couldn't be far.

"Do not sound so sad, my sweet."

Leo opened his eyes to find Des standing next to the bed in sleep pants and a tshirt with two steaming cups of coffee in his hands. He immediately pouted, "I am very sad. You left me all alone." He said, giving Des his best puppy eyes.

Des fought a smile, Leo was so damn cute it hurt to look at him!! "I'm very sorry. Would you forgive me for a cup of coffee?"

Leo looked thoughtful for a moment, "Maybe if you throw in a few kisses, I could think about it."

Des smiled, "You have a deal Mr. Spindler. Would you like your kisses before or after your coffee?"

Leo sat up and took both cups from Des and set them aside, "Yes." He said and pulled Des onto the bed, kissing him as he laughed. "You know, you have a beautiful laugh. It's intoxicating. I think I'm addicted."

"It's a good thing my laughter comes easy when I'm with you."

"Your smile, too. When it reaches your eyes, you take my breath away." Leo said softly.

"Again, it's a product of your company."

"Then I never want to leave your side." Leo replied as he kissed him again.

Des smiled when Leo separated their lips, "I could get use to that."

"The kisses or me not leaving your side?"

"You by my side. Your kisses are now necessary. I must have them every day or I will not survive." Des said dramatically, putting the back of his hand to his forehead as if he felt faint.

Leo laughed, "I think that can be arranged!"

Des laughed with him then gave him a quick kiss, "Come, love. Drink your coffee before it's cold. I have breakfast in the oven, it will be ready soon." He said as he sat up and took the cups, passing one to Leo.

Leo suddenly felt guilty, how long had Des been up to take care of him? "Des, you didn't have to do that. I could grab a pastry or muffin from downstairs before leaving. How long have you been awake? What time is it?" he asked, looking for his phone.

"No no no, don't worry. I always get up early. It's a habit. It's 7 am. You have time for a shower if you like." Des said, smiling lovingly down at Leo.

"Des, you're to sweet. Are you working today? It's only an hour until opening." Leo said.

"I'm not opening today. Once or twice a week I stay up here and do the accounts for a few hours before going down to bake or take care of other things." Des said.

"It's good to be the boss." Leo said with a smile.

They heard a timer go off in the other room and Des stood to leave, "I put out some extra towels in the bathroom for you. The food needs to cool for a bit so take your time." He said then leaned down to give a quick kiss, "Yell if you need anything."

Leo sighed and watched Des walk away. *Just so damn beautiful...* he thought as he finished off his coffee. He got up and put on his clothes before going to the bathroom to shower.

When Leo made his way to the kitchen a little bit later, Des had the table set and was finishing up the last few dishes. "Hey, smells good. What did you make?" he asked, coming up beside Des.

Des jumped a bit, "Oh, I didn't hear you come out. Umm, there's 2 plates of pastries. The farthest one is fruit and the other ones have bacon, eggs, cheese, sausage. Typical breakfast foods."

"You made those this morning?" Leo asked in surprise.

Des nodded and Leo began rubbing the back of his neck. Des had learned quickly that this meant the tour guide wasn't completely comfortable with something, "If you don't like it...I can make something else?"

"NO, god no! You've already done so much. That must have been a lot of work Des...you shouldn't do that. Not for me." Leo said. He was very uncomfortable with this level of attention on just him.

"Why not?"

"Well....because...It's to much. You don't have to do all of this for me." Leo said again getting even more anxious.

Des watched Leo for a moment, wondering why he was upset, "Calm down, Leo. It's really not that much! I promise." He said pulling Leo into his arms to calm him down.

"You work very hard, Des. I don't want to add to that." Leo said.

"You are not adding to my work. I love to be in the kitchen. Cooking and baking...it's where I find peace. When I'm happy, I experiment with recipes. When I'm sad, I make everything chocolate I can think of. It's how I attempt to impress...it's the best I have to offer." He said, blushing.

Leo stayed silent for a moment while Des held him. He thought about what he'd heard Des confess last night when he thought Leo was sleeping. He had been sleeping, right up until Des touched his face. He knew it was rude to listen even though Des was talking to him, but he couldn't help it. What he heard both excited him and terrified him. Des had very strong feelings for him, stronger than anything he'd felt before and it confused him. Des was afraid of his feelings, even his positive ones it seemed. _*I guess I'm not the only one with a painful past when it comes to love.*_ Leo thought.

"I'm sorry, Des. I'm just not use to so much attention. It makes me very nervous." He said. "Just for the record...your culinary skills are not the best you have to offer. You, Des, who you are is the best you have to offer."

Des stopped breathing at Leos last comment. When he could breathe again, he stepped back and kissed Leos forehead, "Go sit. I'm going to go grab my phone. I think I left it in the bedroom. I'll be right back." He said quickly and left before Leo could respond.

Leo stared after him, confused. _*Did I upset him?*_ he thought as he looked over to the counter where Des' phone sat, connected to a set of speakers and playing soft calming music.

Des sat on his bed and put his face in his hands. 'Who you are is the best you have to offer.' The words rang through Des mind. _*Do not get so wrapped up, Des. They're just words. Give him time to prove himself!*_ he thought. Then another thought hit him, _*Gah!! Des! You fucking idiot! The phone is on the counter not 2 feet from where you left him!*_

He stood and made a few nervous laps around the room before taking a deep breath and headed back to the kitchen. Leo was seated at the table, patiently waiting for him to return.

Des gave him a nervous smile, "I think I need more coffee. I'm still a bit absent." He said touching his head, "My phone plays the music over there." He finished by pointing to the counter.

Leo smiled and stood as he approached, "Coffee junkie huh?"

"Guilty." Des replied, "I can't function without it. You didn't have to wait for me."

"I wanted to. Though it was difficult. It looks amazing, thank you for making it." Leo said.

Des blushed and kissed Leos cheek, "Lets eat. I don't want you to be late because of me."

"I won't be late. I have plenty of time. Don't worry." He said. He moved to Des chair and pulled it out for him to sit.

"Thank you." He said as he sat. When Leo was seated, they began their meal and Leo raved about both types of pastries. Des continued his transformation into a tomato.

"Soooo, I was thinking. Umm, maybe...would you want to...I don't know...come to my place?" Leo asked hesitantly.

Des looked surprised, "You want me to?"

"Well...yeah. If you want. I'd love to have you over. I could order some pizzas and get some movies...my place is nothing fancy. It's actually kind of small but...yeah...I'd love for you to come over. F..for a date....or just to visit. Whatever you want to do is fine." Leo rambled nervously.

Des smiled warmly at him, he was so sweet, "I would love to. Do you have a particular day in mind?"

"Are you busy tonight? Or...or not...people usually have plans on Friday nights and this is short notice. Maybe some other time?" Leo said.

Des reached out and took Leos hand, "Calm down, Leo. I do not have any plans tonight and I would love to make some with you. Unless you changed your mind?"

"No! I just...I didn't know if you would be interested."

"Leo, it's you. Of course I'm interested."

"Are you sure?"

Des smiled, "Am I sure I'm interested in you? Yes. I am very sure of that."

 _*That's not what I meant but hot damn! I'll take it!!*_ Leo thought as a happy grin spread across his face.

Seeing that grin, Des laughed, "You were not asking that, were you?"

Leo laughed too, "No, but I love the answer. It makes me very happy."

Des put a hand over his mouth to hide his smile, "That's very embarrassing. I certainly need to avoid talking, especially to you, before my 8th cup of coffee."

"Why should it be embarrassing? And you're not allowed to not talk to me. It would break my heart not to hear your voice." Leo said, giving Des that devilishly charming smile.

Des covered his face with both hands, "Ohhh, Leo! What are you trying to do to me? I can't take that smile! It's to much! You are much to charming and far to sexy for my sanity!"

 _*Sexy huh? Well, let me give you something to think about until tonight, my dear Des.*_ Leo thought. He got up from his chair and stood next to Des. He turned Des chair to the side and before Des could react, Leo was sitting astride in his lap. Des looked up long enough to realize Leos intentions then covered his face again.

"Why do you hide from me, Des?" Leo whispered in his ear.

"Your going to drive me mad!"

Leo took Des arms and pulled his hands away from his face, "Look at me, beautiful. I want to see your eyes."

Des whimpered and gave up, he opened his eyes and looked into Leos. "Why do you torture me, Leo?"

Leo smiled, "I have my reasons." He said softly. He leaned forward and pressed his lips ever so softly to Des. He guided the arms he still held up around his neck as he slowly deepened the kiss and wrapped his arms around Des. He continued his teasing until he heard a soft moan come from Des, then he pulled back, gave him another quick kiss on the lips then his nose and got up

"Wha..what? Where are you going?" Des asked, still a bit dazed.

"I have to leave for work. You don't want me to be late do you?" Leo said, giving him that charming smile again.

"You would tease me like that...then leave?" Des asked staring at him with wide eyes.

"Hmmm, that was more of a preview." Leo said. He trailed his finger along Des jawline, "I might show you the rest tonight." He said softly before kissing him again. "Will you text me later and let me know what time your off?"

Des, with his mind completely scrambled with thoughts of 'the rest', could only nod and say, "Uh huh."

Leo took Des hand and pulled him to his feet, "Can you walk me out?"

Des panicked, "I can't go out there dressed like this!"

"Just to the door then?" Leo asked.

Des nodded and they walked across the room to the door, "Miss me?"

"Yes...I'll miss you." Des said softly.

"I'll miss you too." Leo said. He raised up and kissed Des cheek. Then he opened the door and stepped out, "I'll see you later, my beautiful Des."

"See you later..." Des replied as Leo headed down the stairs. He gave a small wave when, at the bottom of the stairs, Leo turned and blew him a kiss before stepping out of sight. Des shut and locked the door then leaned back against the wall next to it. He slid to the floor and sat, one leg stretched out in front of him and the other hugged to his chest. He rested his head on his knee and sighed, "You're going to be the death of me Leo, I just know it."

***

Leo stepped into the café kitchen with a large smile on his face. He was convinced that life couldn't get much better. Well, unless Des confessed his love to him, that would make life perfect. The kitchen was empty so he leaned back against the wall next to the steps, closed his eyes and sighed contentedly. He stood there for several minutes replaying the last few days in his mind with a smile on his face.

"Hey, Leo. Here to see Des?"

Leo looked down at the tiny blonde woman that was Des best friend and gave her a warm smile, "Hey Sam. Actually I'm on my way out, I just come down."

Sam looked confused, "When did you get here? I didn't see you come in?"

Leo chuckled, "Yesterday...I uhh I never left." He said blushing.

Sam blushed, "Oh, sorry. Ummm so...I wanted to thank you. You know, for yesterday. That was pretty awesome what you did."

"It was nothing. Shit like that pisses me off." He replied. As he watched, Sam started fidgeting nervously and seemed to be struggling with something, "Are you ok?"

She sighed, "Yes. Maybe...I'm worried."

"About what?"

"Des..."

"Des? Is there something wrong with him?" Leo asked.

"No, I just don't want him to get hurt." She said.

Leo smiled, realizing what she was worried about, "You're a good friend Sam. Don't worry. I wouldn't dream of hurting Des. I'd cut my own heart out first."

"He's not dated in a very long time."

"Yeah, I'm picking up on that. Know why?" Leo asked.

"No. He doesn't talk about his life before moving to Paris. Not to me, not to anyone." She said, sighing. "Please be careful with him, Leo. I think you're something special to him. I've never seen him give anyone more than a passing glance."

"He hasn't dated anyone since moving here 2 years ago?" he asked, surprised. Sam just shook her head and Leo sighed, "I'll be good to him, Sam. I promise." He said then checked his watch, "I need to get going, think I can get a coffee to go?"

"Coming right up." She said.

Leo followed her out of the kitchen and chatted with her about other things as she made the coffee. When she handed him the coffee, he reached in his pocket and took out a 10.

"Nope. I can't take that." She said.

"Why not?"

"We all have orders from Des. What you order is on the house."

Leo scowled at her, "No. That's not right. I will pay for what I order. I'm no freeloader."

"Sorry. I can't take it, Leo. Des was very clear on that." She said.

Leo frowned and shoved the money back in his pocket. "Thanks Sam. See you later."

"Bye Leo." She said.

With a quick wave, Leo left the café and called for a taxi to pick him up near the park. His bright day had diminished a bit when Sam explained Des new rule about him not paying. He didn't like that, not even a little bit. Not that he didn't appreciate the thought but Leo didn't want anyone, least of all Des, to start thinking he was dating him for any reason other than his pure interest in the man himself. Leo sighed as he sat in the taxi and headed to work. When he arrived, he headed straight to his bosses office.

"Hey Dave. How's it going?" He asked.

"Oh, hey Leo. How's the girl? Did everything get taken care of?" his boss asked.

Leo sighed, "She's ok I think. A bit shaken up. Apparently this wasn't the first time the guy had bothered her. Des is going to raise all kinds of hell with his staff over that bit of information. Anyway, everything was taken care of. She filed a report and we took her home."

"This Des guy was a witness too?"

"Oh no. He's the owner of the café." Leo said.

"Ahh, ok. So you just walked into this guys café and tried to throw a customer out?" Dave said laughing. "He must have thought you were crazy."

"If he doesn't think I'm crazy by now, I'm doing good. I'd like to think he knows me enough to know I wouldn't be that angry without reason." Leo said smiling.

"You know him then?"

"Ahhh, yeah. I know him." Leo replied. When Dave just looked at him, he blushed and added, "We're...umm...kinda dating..."

Dave grinned, "That where those spots came from?"

"Shut up Dave!"

Dave laughed, "I'm just messing with you! At least now I know why you changed your mid-day stop to the Eiffel Tower."

Leo growled, "Can I have my schedule now?"

Dave narrowed his eyes, "You're a bit touchy about this. Are you really just dating?"

Seeing this wasn't going to be a quick chat, Leo sighed and sat down. "Yes. We're just dating. I hope to make it more than that though."

"Why didn't you tell me you were seeing someone? You always tell me when you start seeing someone." Dave asked, playing hurt.

"You do know you're my boss, right?" Leo said then ducked away from the paper ball thrown at his head, "Hey! Violence is not the answer!" he said laughing.

"Asshole, I was your friend long before I was your boss. Now spill. What's with you and this guy? What's the name of his café? And since when do you date men anyway?"

"Whoa! Slow down! Damn. You want to shine the lamp in my face too? Shit man." Leo said. "First question, we're dating. How that happened is a bit of a story, short version...this guy was making a scene, harassing Des for a date and I stepped in and pretended to be his boyfriend. We...umm, fake dated for the last 4 months. Then I asked him for a real date and now we are real dating. Second question, he owns Café Ardent. Finally, Always. I'm not picky on gender."

"Wait wait, Café Ardent? THE Café Ardent? As in Des Aeva's café?"

"Yeah..."

"You're dating Des Aeva?"

"Yeah..."

"Bullshit!" Dave said crossing his arms. "No way! He's one of the most wanted men in Paris. He was actually on the list of most eligible bachelor's."

"There's a list?"

"Yes! He was only on it once. I heard he threatened to sue the paper if they didn't remove his name." Dave said.

"I can imagine. People harass him all the time. He said something yesterday that made me think he's probably had trouble with stalkers in the past. He knew several of the officers by first name. I don't doubt he would have sued them, his life must have been hell when that list came out. He's a very private man. He just wants to be left alone." Leo said.

"Except for Leo." Dave said.

Leo blushed, "I don't know how I caught his attention over all of Paris..."

"You're a good catch Leo! He's lucky to have you."

"I'm the lucky one. He's amazing. I just hope I don't fuck it up like I always do." He said sadly.

"You seem serious about this one. Usually you come in here bragging about your new girlfriend and bitching about the one who left the week before. You really care about this guy, don't you?" Dave asked.

"Yeah. This time, it's very different." Leo said softly, "Can I have my schedule now? I don't want a bad rating because you're being nosey."

"I already gave it to you."

"No. You did not."

"I threw it at your head."

"You crumbled my schedule?! What the hell, Dave? You know I hate that!" Leo yelled, "Reprint it!"

Dave laughed, "And you say you're not picky!"

Leo glared at him hard enough that he received his reprinted schedule before leaving his boss/friends office.

Dave waited an hour to make sure Leo was well into his tour then left his office, he needed a cup of coffee.

****

Des jumped at the sound of someone knocking on his door. He reached up and opened it, revealing Sam. She was looking up, then peaked into the apartment.

"Des?" she called.

"Yes?" He said from his spot on the floor beside the door.

Sam jumped and squealed, "What are you doing on the floor? Are you ok?"

"I'm contemplating my existence."

"In the floor? In your pajamas?"

"I didn't know contemplating your existence had a dress code." He replied.

"With you, everything has a dress code."

"Did you need something, Sam?" Des asked.

"Yeah, you gonna contemplate all day or actually come to work?"

Des looked up at her, "What time is it?"

Sam crossed her arms, "Almost 10. How long have you been sitting there?"

"Since Leo left."

"Why?"

"Didn't I already answer that?"

Sam sighed and sat on the step, leaning back against the wall, "Why have you been sitting in the floor for over 2 hours? What did Leo do?"

"He's driving me mad, Sam." Des said, putting his head back on his knee.

"How is he driving you mad?"

"He's to damn perfect. He smiles at me and I turn into simpering idiot. When I see him I feel like I can't breathe and at the same time it's as if I've just taken my first full breath in years. How is that possible? I don't understand!" he grumbled.

Sam laughed, "It's very simple. You're in love, Des."

Des covered his head with his arms, "Noooooo, its to soon." He groaned.

"How else would you explain it?" She asked softly.

"Insanity!"

"You suffered from that before you met Leo." Sam said laughing.

"Why are we friends?" Des asked dryly.

"Because I'm amazing and you love me."

Des laughed, "Touché."

"I think he really cares about you, Des. I had the best friend talk with him earlier." She said proudly.

Des looked at her with a horrified expression, "Please, tell me you didn't..."

"I did."

"Oh god, Sam. Why? Is he ever going to talk to me again?" he asked covering his face with his hands.

"Probably. He wasn't happy that I wouldn't accept payment for his coffee. So at least he will come to gripe at you about that." Sam said.

"If you run him away from me, Sam...I swear." Des warned.

"Don't worry, Des. You couldn't beat him away with a stick." She said grinning at him, "So are you coming down in your pajamas or are you going to get off your ass and get dressed?"

Des glared at her, "I'll be down in 10 minutes." He said and closed the door in her face.

"RUDE!!" She yelled at the door.

****

Dave stood in line and looked around the café. It was a nice place, well kept, very clean, the staff seemed friendly and the owner...holy shit. The man was gorgeous and insanely TALL. Dave could see Leos attraction. But he also knew Leo well enough to know that physical attraction wasn't all he felt for this man. When he made it to the front of the line, Des smiled politely at him.

"Good morning, what can I get for you?" Des asked.

"A cup of the house coffee and a moment of your time, if you don't mind." Dave replied with an equally polite smile. Then he watched the mans face change from polite to tolerant and slightly annoyed.

"May I ask why, sir?"

"I wish to speak to you about something very important."

Des sighed heavily, "I'm not interested. Thank you, but I'm seeing someone."

Dave smiled widely, "Yes, I know. That's why I'm here. It's about Leo."

Des eyes widened, "What? Why? Wha...just...go sit. I'll bring your coffee in a moment." He said quickly.

Dave tried not to laugh at how he became instantly flustered at the mention of Leos name and a bit of his worry eased. A few minutes later a still flustered Des placed 2 cups of coffee on the table and sat down.

"Ok, first, who the hell are you? Why are you asking me about Leo?" Des asked, the look in his eyes didn't say flustered, they screamed anger.

"Whoa, calm down. I'm a friend. Long time friend and his boss." Dave said. The look in Des eyes didn't change. Dave sighed, "Look, I'm just curious. Maybe a little concerned. He's my friend, I don't want him to get hurt."

Des rolled his eyes, "With friends like ours, who needs enemies? You wish to have the same conversation with me that my darling best friend had with Leo this morning?"

"Uhhh, I don't know. Maybe?"

"Why are you concerned?" Des asked.

"Well, he's acting different. Not in a bad way, mind you, but different. He always tells me when he's seeing someone, I had to dig the information out of him today. He was very nervous talking about you, blushed like you wouldn't believed." He said.

"I could believe. He blushes a lot." Des said, now smiling warmly as he thought of Leo.

"Only when he talks about you though. My point is, he's never acted this way over someone. I don't want him to be hurt, he seems to really care for you." Dave said.

"I know. I care for him too. I have no interest in hurting him. I really want to see what becomes of this...situation, or whatever it could be called. I don't know if things will work out, but I hope they will. Leo is wonderful. I really enjoy spending time with him." Des said.

Dave relaxed a bit and they sat and talked for about an hour without realizing it was getting close to Leos break. They were so caught up in their conversation that they didn't notice Leo walking up to stand next to their table. Leo stood there a moment with his arms crossed staring at them before finally clearing his throat. Dave paled when he saw the annoyed man staring down at him. Des tried to hide his smile.

"Would you care to explain what the hell you are doing, David?" Leo asked.

"Ahh, not really..." he said.

Des started laughing then tried to stop when Leo turned his glare on him. "I'll just go get you a coffee." He said quickly before covering his mouth to muffle his laughter and hurrying away. He patted Dave's shoulder on his way by, "It was nice to meet you, Dave. Good luck."

"Care for a walk, boss?" Leo asked.

"Not really?"

"Lets go." Leo growled and lead the way out of the outside and to a spot just out of sight from the café.

***

Des peeked out of the kitchen, still giggling to himself as Leo lead Dave out of the café.

"What are you laughing at?" Sam asked.

"That poor man is about to pay the price for being a good friend." Des replied.

"Huh? Who was that anyway. You talked to him for a long time. Already lost interest in Leo?"

"Sam! Don't even joke about that! Absolutely not. He is Leo's boss and friend. I just got the best friend talk." Des said smiling.

"Ohhhh and Leo caught him in the act?" Sam asked giggling.

"Yep. Oh...here comes Leo!" he said and tried to act like nothing happened. When Leo walked into the kitchen, he still looked annoyed.

"Hello, is everything ok?" Des asked with a bright smile. Sam, the traitor, giggled.

Leo sighed, "I'm sorry for my idiot friend. He means well."

"Don't worry about it, my sweet. Dave is a lovely man who just wanted to look out for his friend. To be honest, I enjoyed talking to him. Please, tell him to come back any time." Des said.

Leo crossed his arms and pouted, "He can't come back if I strangle him."

Sam giggled again, "Leos jealous."

"I am not!"

"You're practically green!" she laughed.

"Sam, go...do something not in here!" Des said as he shoved her out the door. He turned back to Leo and sighed, "Do you want to go upstairs for a moment to calm down?"

"I do, but I don't have time." Leo grumbled.

Des took his hand and pulled him into his small office, closing the door behind them. He turned to Leo and pulled him into his arms, "Don't be upset or jealous."

"I'm not jealous!"

"Darling, I know jealously when I see it. You have no need. My eyes see only you." Des said, kissing the star on the side of Leos head.

"Maybe a little jealous."

"Why?"

"Well...I hadn't told any of my friends about the fake dating thing much less us actually dating. I knew they would come snooping when they found out. If they even believed it. I don't want to share you with them yet. Hell we just started really dating a few days ago, I want to be greedy for a bit first." Leo said, resting his forehead against Des chest.

Des sighed and lay his cheek in Leos messy hair, "There is nothing wrong with that. I sort of wish I had that option. Especially today. What did Sam say to you?"

"Basically the same as Dave said to you. 'He's my friend, I don't want him to get hurt. He's never acted like this before. I think he really cares for you.' That whole bit." Leo replied.

"I do care for you." Des confirmed. _*I love you.*_

"And I care for you." Leo said. _*I love you.*_

Des hummed softly and held Leo for another minute in silence before speaking again. "How long will it take me to get to your apartment?"

"By taxi, 30 minutes. Give or take."

"Ok. Is 7:30 to late?" Des asked.

Leo looked up at him and smiled, "You could show up at midnight and I'd still just be happy you came." Leo replied.

"Hmm, no. You are worth more than that Leo. You should not settle for the scraps of someone's time. You deserve first choice." Des said looking into Leos bright beautiful eyes.

Leo stepped back and turned away from Des , "I uhhh, I should go. I'm going to be late."

"Leo...did I say some..." Des was cut off when Leo turned around and pulled him down into a deep, passionate kiss that did not last long enough in Des opinion.

When Leo pulled away from Des, he held his face close, "No. You said nothing wrong. Nothing at all. I'll see you tonight, my beautiful Des." He whispered then quickly left the room and cafe without another word.

Des sat in his office chair and leaned back, propping his head in one hand and stared off into space.

A few minutes later, Sam stood in the doorway, "Are you going to contemplate your existence every time you see Leo?" she asked. Des responded with a rude bit of sign language causing Sam to laugh, "It's kind of fun seeing you so off balance. I think its good for you. You need to loosen up a bit."

"What are you trying to say Sam? I'm boring? No fun?"

"I didn't say that. You did." She replied with a big smile. "But seriously, all you do is work."

"I...do...other things. Just because you don't see, doesn't mean I don't do. I even go out with you sometimes!" he said defensively.

"You don't do anything but work and bake and read. I have to drag you out after pestering you for a week to go somewhere." She said, glaring at him. "Leo walks in, bats his eyes at you and you're suddenly ready to do all kinds of stuff."

"Well, in my defense...his eyes are quite stunning. I've never seen someone with chartreuse eyes before. They are simply beautiful." Des said, stopping himself before he could began rambling.

"You know you just continue to prove what I said earlier, right?" She said dryly. "You should just accept it. You are in love with Leo."

"Go away. I don't like you."

"Chicken." She said before disappearing into the kitchen.

***

Des stood in his closet wearing nothing but a towel around his waist, looking at row after row of very nice and somewhat expensive clothing and sighed, "I have nothing to wear!!" he yelled. "What do you even wear to watch movies and eat pizza?!"  
Des found his phone and text Sam.

Des: Are you still downstairs?

Sam: Yes, why?

Des: I need help. It's an emergency. Can you come up for a bit?

Sam: On my way.

Des sighed and threw his phone down on the bed. He stood for a second, trying to think what he could wear.

Then he noticed his reflection in the mirror...and his complete lack of clothing. "SHIT!" he screamed and scrambled to put on SOMETHING before Sam knocked.  
By the time Sam made it to the door, Des had managed a clean set of pajamas, and even underwear.

"Ok...what's the emergency? Whhhat the hell are you wearing? Never mind, I found the emergency." She said looking at him as of he'd really lost his mind.

Des looked down and groaned. The pajamas he wore were a gag gift from another friend of his for his birthday. The shirt was light grey and had the picture of a donkey on the front with the words 'Gimmie That' above it, the pants were covered in miniatures of the donkey on the shirt. "I quit! I give up! I can't leave my apartment in this condition! I was seconds away from answering the door in nothing but a towel and in my panic to fix that problem I put this shit on! I am not fit for society!" Des cried and collapsed onto his couch.

Sam took a moment, a very long moment, to collect herself, "Why did you ask me to come up here Des?"

Des looked at her with the most pitiful expression, "I don't know what to wear."

That was all Sam could take, she sat next to Des on the couch and laughed until she cried while Des sat with his arms crossed, glaring at her.

"It's not that funny." Des grumbled.

"It is when you throw in that stupid shirt!!" she cried.

"Fine." He said through clenched teeth and waited for her to control herself. After several long minutes where Des considered throwing her out of his apartment, she finally calmed. "Are you done?"

"I think so..." she said, trying to hide her giggle. "What are your plans?"

Des rolled his eyes, "Leo said something about pizza and movies."

"You could wear that..." she said but at his glare, she continued, "Jeans and a tshirt?"

"Sam, really? Do I look like someone who has jeans and a tshirt? No, shut up. Don't answer that. No, I don't have jeans and a tshirt. I only have tshirts for sleeping. I do have jeans, but...they are not really...I don't know. I never wear them." He whined.

"Go get them, let me see." She said.

Des stood up, then hesitated, "You could...umm...just." He stopped and took a deep breath, "It would probably be easier if you just came and looked in my closet..." he said nervously.

"You don't seem very comfortable with that." Sam said.

"I'm not."

"Then why suggest it?"

He sighed, "Because you're my best friend and you're trying to help me do something that may end up being the most ignorant thing I have ever done."

"I don't have to go in your room to do that." She said.

"Please, Sam? I...I really want to impress him." Des asked.

Sam smiled at him "Then go be Des. Don't worry about your clothes. Be you, dress as you feel comfortable. That's what caught his attention to begin with."

Des frowned, "What do you think really caught his attention first? Me or my appearance?"

"He definitely noticed your appearance. But I think it was who you are that caught his attention and made him come back."

Des sighed, "I hope you're right." He said and headed to his room, "You coming?"

"Yeah, right behind you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sensitive subjects are touched on and they bake cookies.

Des stood in front of the apartment door, rechecking the apartment number for the 7th time. He'd been standing there about 5 minutes trying to knock on the door but far to nervous to do so. _*When did I become such a wimp?*_ he thought. He took a couple of deep breaths then quickly knocked on the door before he could back out again.

"Be right there!" Leo yelled from somewhere inside.

Des put his hand over his heart as if that could slow the rhythm just a bit. He heard noises from the other side of the door and held up the 'Café Ardent' carry out box he'd filled with freshly baked chocolate double chocolate chip cookies. Des tried to smile when Leo opened the door, but he was pretty sure he just managed to look sick.

Leo, however, did smile, "You made it. Come in!" he said stepping aside so Des could enter.

"I, umm...I...I brought cookies for dessert. Chocolate double chocolate chip." Des said. He offered the box to Leo who opened a corner to smell inside.

"Ohhhh that smells good. That will go good with the ice cream I picked up. Thanks Des." He lifted up on his tip toes and gave Des a quick kiss then took his hand and pulled him further into the apartment, "Come on. Make yourself at home. The pizza should be here soon and I have a few movies we can watch. Would you like something to drink? I have water, soda, juice,..."

Des calmed as he listened to Leo, he was just as nervous. Leo was standing with his back to the room as he looked in the refrigerator. He walked up behind Leo, slipped his arms around him and kissed his neck, "Anything is fine, though I prefer a proper kiss." He whispered.

Leo looked back at him with a grin, "What? My kiss before wasn't good enough?"

"It was lovely but I have first hand knowledge that you are capable of much more." Des said, kissing Leos cheek.

Leo laughed and closed the refrigerator before turning around to face Des, "Just what kind of kiss would you like, my dear Des?"

"The kind I can only get from you. The kind that makes me question reality and makes me feel like I'm floating on air." Des replied.

"Ahhh, so something like this..." Leo said as he pulled Des down and claimed his lips in a lingering gentle kiss that only ended because they had to breathe.

Des sighed, "Yes, exactly like that." He said going for another kiss but was interrupted by a knock on the door. He stepped back with a pout.

Leo laughed, "Don't worry. You will have your share of kisses." He said as he turned away.

Des crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at him. _*My share? I will not be sharing a damn thing.*_ he thought.

When Leo turned around he hesitated at seeing the way Des looked at him. "Ahhh...what?"

Des realized what he was doing and why. _*Well, if its to soon to be in love its certainly to soon to be so possessive and jealous. Idiot Des.*_ he thought. He shook his head, "Nothing, what kind of pizza did you get?"

Leo sat the pizza down and looked up at Des, "Noooo, what was that look? You looked annoyed, did I do something?"

"You didn't do anything. I was just thinking about something. It's not relevant." Des replied with a smile.

"If it makes you look so serious, it must be relevant. What is it? I can sit here all night waiting." He threatened.

"It's silly and it doesn't matter." Des replied. Leo just crossed his arms, leaned his head slightly to one side and continued to stare at him. Des sighed, Leo was going to be stubborn. He was damn good at being stubborn. "Fine. I do not want a share of your kisses. I want them all. I know its to soon to assume this is exclusive, so don't worry, I'm not going to push for that. It's just how I feel about things. I..I don't want to pressure you..."

"It's exclusive." Leo cut in. He rubbed the back of his neck, "At least, it is for me. I don't like to date multiple people at the same time and..." he paused, afraid to say this but had to, just in case, "I don't do the 'friends with benefits' thing. When I date someone, it's exclusive. In all ways. Aaand I've been single since a few weeks before we met." He added quickly.

"Do you worry this might be going to fast?" Des asked. In his mind he screamed, _*I'M THE REBOUND! REBOUNDS NEVER LAST! I HATE MY LIFE!*_

"Ahhh, well. That I'm not sure about" he said. He turned, put a couple of plates on the pizza box, grabbed them and motioned for Des to follow. Des followed him into the living room and they sat on the small couch. As he served up the pizza, Leo continued, "Our situation is a bit...odd. Even though we called it fake dating, we were basically dating for the last 4 months. We did everything you would normally do on a date with the exception of the more physical aspect. Hell we even kissed a few times. I'm still not sure if that was for show or we got caught up in the moments. So I guess it depends on how you look at it. What do you think about our...situation or relationship or whatever you prefer to call it?"

Des took a bite of pizza to give himself time to think. Leo had been very open with his answers, he liked that and figured he would do the same...to some extent. "I feel as you do on dating and 'friends with benefits'. I haven't dated in over 2 years. So I guess I feel as if I'm starting all over with this dating thing. I have no idea what I'm doing and often you leave me feeling very confused over my own thoughts and emotions. N..not in a bad way, don't get me wrong. It's just...I don't know how to proceed."

"But...you want to proceed, right?" Leo asked hopefully.

Des nodded, "Yes. Very much."

Leo smiled at him, "Then that's what we'll do because I want the same thing. If something bothers us, we sit and talk. Just like this. Is that ok?"

"Ok. We can do that." He said softly. He noticed Leo had a drop of pizza sauce on the corner of his mouth. Des started to tell him but decided to deal with it himself. He took Leos chin and gently held him still as he leaned forward. Before Leo could react, Des closed his lips over the corner of his mouth and carefully licked the sauce away. He pulled away just enough to look into Leos eyes, "You had some sauce on your lip." He said. Des bit his bottom lip and looked at the other side of Leos mouth. There was nothing there, but Leo didn't know that, "Hmm, very messy Leo." He said softly as he repeated the process on the other side. When he was finished, he sat back and smiled sweetly at Leo.

Leo sat frozen for a moment. His cheeks were bright red and his mind was in a different room. "Umm, t..thanks." he said when he found his voice.

"You're welcome."

"Uhh, was that one of your hints?" Leo asked.

Des shrugged, "You forgot the napkins."

Leo raised an eyebrow, "You'll do that every time I forgot the napkins?"

"Perhaps." Des replied before taking a bite of his pizza.

Leo watched him for a moment then leaned close to whisper into Des ear, "Do you know what you do to me, Des?"

Des turned his face and rubbed his cheek against Leos, "I imagine its something very similar to what you do to me, my Leo." He whispered back.

Leo chuckled, "You drive me crazy." He said and kissed Des cheek.

"Says the man who has had me completely out of my mind all day. If I continue like this, Sam may have me committed." Des said.

"Bah, I don't do anything. I'm innocent."

"Like hell you are." Des replied dryly.

"You have no proof." Leo said grinning.

Des narrowed his eyes and sat his plate aside. He stared into Leos eyes as he unbuttoned the top 3 buttons on his shirt, slid it off his right shoulder and leaned forward to show Leo the nasty bite mark he'd left the night before. "This does not come from the innocent."

"Ouch. Sorry, I didn't mean to be so rough." He said, leaning closer to kiss the mark.

"I'm not complaining. Just making my point." Des said as he fixed his shirt.

Leo watched the shirt go back on and sighed. _*You could just remove it completely.*_ he thought.

"Is something wrong?"

"You fixed your shirt..." Leo replied absently, then realized he'd said that out loud. "Ahhhh, I mean...ummm...ah shit." He said, turning bright red and hiding his face. He heard Des beautiful laugh ring through his apartment. Then he felt cool hands take his wrist and pull his hands away from his face.

"Why do you hide from me?" Des asked, holding Leos hands so he couldn't cover his face again.

Leo looked away, "Why do you think? I always say the wrong thing."

Des put his hand on Leos cheek and turned his face so he could see his eyes, "What did you say that was so wrong? Because I didn't hear it. I see nothing wrong with what I did hear."

"I...I don't want you to have a bad impression of me. I don't want you to end up grouping me with everyone else. The ones who see you but don't care to know you." Leo said softly, "You're beautiful, Des. That's probably not even an accurate description. But from what I've learned over the last few months, there's far more beautiful things about you than your appearance."

Des stared at him for a moment before releasing him and turning away. He stared at the arm of the couch without blinking. He didn't want Leo to see him cry, there could be nothing more embarrassing on what would only be their 3rd official date. _*It's just words. It's just words. It doesn't mean anything until he proves himself. Hasn't he though? Has he ever tried to show off his prize? Has he ever asked for anything but to spend time with him?*_

"Des? Did I say something wrong?" Leo asked. Des shook his head, unable to answer. "Des, baby, please look at me." Leo said. When Des didn't respond, Leo slid over on the couch and put his arms around him, laying his head on Des back. "I'm sorry. It wasn't my intention to upset you."

"You didn't upset me."

"Your behavior and your voice tell a different story."

Des sighed and wiped his eyes, "You said nothing wrong, my love. I'm just not use to someone speaking to my heart."

Leos heart skipped a beat at 'my love', "So, you're not angry or hurt?" Leo asked, sitting back.

Des wiped his eyes again and took a deep breath before facing Leo, "No, I'm not. You just caught me off guard with what you said."

Leo frowned and looked at the moisture around Des eyes, "I made you cry." He said sadly, "I never want to make you cry..." he added softly. He took Des face in his hands and kissed the outside corner of his eyes. "I do not want to see your beautiful eyes dimmed by tears."

"You will have to stop being so sweet and speaking to my heart. I don't want you to do either." Des said softly.

"I still don't like that I made you cry." Leo grumbled. "How can I make you feel better? No more tears tonight."

"You can hold me while we watch the movie? That would definitely make me feel better." Des suggested.

Leo smiled, "That would make me feel better too."

Des leaned forward a bit and whispered, "If you feel really guilty, you could take off your shirt and let me rest my head on that gorgeous bare chest."

Leo turned bright red and rubbed the back of his neck, "Haha, you don't want to do that. Th..thats silly. The only thing gorgeous here is you."

"I disagree. I think you are magnificent."

Leo couldn't sit still any more. He jumped up and crossed the room to get the movies he'd picked that he thought Des might like, "So, umm, I grabbed a few movies I thought you might like. Choose which ever one you like." He said handing the stack to Des.

Des looked through the movies and handed one back to Leo, "I've heard that one was good."

"Awesome, soooo, you brought super chocolate cookies and I picked up chocolate fudge ice cream. I'm thinking we can do something with that..." Leo said, grinning down at Des.

Des grinned back, "Are you asking for my culinary expertise?"

"Well, if you have an idea..."

"You know, chocolate is my weakness. I absolutely love it."

"I'll remember that. If I ever piss you off...chocolates and flowers." Leo said.

Des laughed, "I've wanted to ask, where do you get such beautiful flowers? They are always so lively and bright."

Leo scoffed, "I'm not telling you that! That's MY little secret."

Des pouted, "You don't play fair."

"Nope. Not always. Are you gonna help me with dessert or what?" Leo asked, flashing that charming smile that made Des melt.

Des sighed, "You keep giving me that smile, I'll do just about anything."

Leo held out his hand to Des to help him up, "I'll remember that too." He said as he pulled Des to his feet then back down for a kiss, holding him there for a long moment before releasing him. "Lets go get some chocolate."

***

Des lay back against Leos chest with a happy smile on his face as they watched the movie. He didn't really care about the movie itself, more about the strong arms wrapped around him, the hand over his with their fingers laced together, the toned muscles he was leaning back on and the occasional kiss pressed to his cheek. Who could focus on a damn movie with all of that going on? He couldn't imagine a better way to spend a Friday night. Eventually the movie ended and neither man wanted to move from where they were. Des lay his head back on Leos shoulder, "It's getting late. I should call a taxi I have to open tomorrow."

Leo tightened his hold on Des, "Noooo! You can't go. I wont let you." He said and started kissing Des neck.

Des giggled, "I don't want to, but I have to open the café."

"I'll make sure you're there in plenty of time to open the café."

"Leo... you can not see me before I've had my coffee."

"I have coffee." Leo replied.

"I can't go out in the morning with my hair a mess."

"You can borrow my hat."

Des laughed, "You're going to make me feel guilty for leaving, aren't you?"

Leo nuzzled his neck, "I don't want to make you feel guilty. I also don't want you to go."

"I know, my love and I'm sorry but I'm not use to staying anywhere but my own apartment. I didn't even consider that you might wish me to stay or I would have come prepared." Des said.

Leo groaned, "Fine."

Des looked back at Leo, "No, don't give me that pitiful voice. I already feel horrible. I'll make it up to you." He said. Leo just pouted at him. "Oh your killing me Leo! Don't give me that face. What can I do to make it up to you?"

"I'm going to need a lot of kisses before you leave." Leo said.

Des turned enough to kiss Leos chin, "Just kisses?"

Leo raised an eyebrow, "You had something else in mind?"

"You owe me for this morning, Mr. Spindler."

A grin slowly spread over Leos face, "Yes, I do."

"So long as you don't forget." Des said, sitting up and taking out his phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling a taxi."

"What? Why?"

Des gave him an odd look, "We just had that conversation. Don't you remember?"

Leo glared at him, "You're messing with me, aren't you? Pay back for this morning?"

"Ok, maybe a little. But I do need to call a taxi."

"You can't stay a bit longer?" Leo asked.

Des took his hand and kissed it, "When is your next day off?"

"Tuesday or Wednesday. I can't remember. Why?"

"Let me know and I will do the opening rush then take off. We can do what you wish." Des replied.

"Oh no. You're not going to miss work because of me." Leo said.

"Why not? I've done it several times already." He said.

"That was the fake dating. That was different."

Des gave him a sweet smile and patient look, "Leo, it was fake dating. But that's not why I did it."

Leo narrowed his eyes, " What do you mean?"

"Darling, my interest in you did not begin when you asked for the first real date. I've been interested in having more for a while now." Des said.

"Oh...well...damn. I still don't want you to miss work because of me."

"I want to, Leo. Besides, Sam said I'm boring and no fun and that I need to loosen up. As many times as I have reduced her to a giggling mess while I was wrapped up in thoughts of you...I think you can help with that." Des said smiling.

"Do I really affect you that much?" Leo asked. His tone said he didn't really believe it.

Des took a deep breath and sighed, "Leo, my sweet. You have had me half insane all day. If I tell you something, do you promise not to tell anyone?" Des asked.

"Sure, I promise. What is it?"

"I've not had a 'pizza and movie' date before. I was not sure what to wear, so after standing in my closet wearing only a towel for far to long, I text Sam and ask her to come help me. Leo, I forgot I was only wearing a towel. It took me seeing my reflection in the mirror to realize." Des explained.

"Oh god...did you flash Sam?" Leo asked laughing.

"No. I think what happened is worse. I grabbed the first set of pajamas I found and put them on right as she knocked on the door. She stared like I was crazy and asked what the hell I was wearing." Des said.

"What was it?"

Des sighed heavily, "The pajamas were a gag gift last year from some friends of mine for my birthday. They are grey with a picture of a donkey on the shirt and little donkeys all over the pants. On the shirt, over the donkey is written 'Gimmie that'." Des finished and covered his face.

Leo sat for a moment, just looking at Des before it clicked, "Gimmie that ass!!!" he yelled, laughing loudly. "You have to wear them for me! Please! I'll do anything!" he begged as he laughed.

Des looked up and gave him a mischievous grin, "I'll wear them on one condition."

Leo wiped his eyes and tried to breath normal, "Anything. Name it. I have to see that."

Des leaned forward and kissed Leos cheek, "You have to do what's written on the shirt."

Leos eyes went wide, "Oh...well. That's, umm, that's not a problem." He said, blushing.

Des smiled, "Hmm, really? How interesting." _*I wonder what else wouldn't be a problem.*_ he thought.

"Really."

Des put a hand on his cheek, "I don't want you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. Ok?"

"It's ok. I wont be uncomfortable. Not with you. I trust you." Leo said with a smile.

Des leaned forward and kissed him, "Ok, now I'm calling the taxi."

Leo made a face at him then turned around and lay back on the couch with his head in Des lap, "Fine, but you have to look at me the whole time." He said making a pouting face.

"You do not play fair." Des grumbled and Leo replied with his sexy, charming smile. "You are definitely going to be the death of me, Mr. Spindler." Des sighed.

****

Des dropped his keys and wallet on his dresser then lay back on his bed. He took out his phone and answered Leos 8th text since he'd left the sexy mans apartment.

Leo: Did you make it home ok?

Des: Yes. Just got in.

Leo: Ok. Good. I miss you! See you soon. Xoxo

Des: I miss you too, my love. Get some sleep. Xoxo

Des smiled to himself. The shorter man was irritating at times but he was honest and sincere in his words. Des almost had to pry himself from Leos arms (and lips) when the taxi arrived. He hadn't wanted to leave, not even a little bit.

 _*Would it have been so bad to have stayed? Damn your vanity and pride Des!*_ he thought. He sighed at his own stupidity then got up and got ready for bed.

The next day was so long and Des hated it. Leo wasn't able to stop for his break and that put them both in a sour mood. When Des snapped at one of the suitors, Sam pulled him to the back and convinced him to do some baking even though the café was closed the next day.

Across town, Leo was trying to do his best impression of a happy, enthusiastic tour guide and it wasn't succeeding. He'd managed so far not to snap at anyone but his answers to the usual stupid questions were coming out with a bit of attitude. Finally fed up, Leo decided to call Des when the group was looking around for a few minutes.

"Hello?" Des said.

"Hey beautiful. How's your day going?" Leo asked.

"Complete shit. Though I feel a bit better now that I've heard your voice. How's your day?"

Leo could hear the smile in Des voice as he spoke, which brought a smile to his face, "Very similar to yours actually. That's why I called. I needed a reason to smile."

Des laughed, "You're to sweet. I'm very glad you called."

"You know, you can always text me. I may not be able to answer immediately, but I will always answer you." Leo said.

"I'll remember that. The same applies to you as well. I miss you, Leo."

"I miss you too, Des. I'll stop by when I get off. If that's ok?"

"It's more than ok. You don't have to just stop by. You can stay." Des said.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to get sick of me being around too much." Leo replied.

Des chuckled softly, "I'm sure that won't happen. Leo...I'm sorry I didn't stay last night. I wanted to, but..." he sighed.

"Don't worry about it, baby. That was my fault, I should have told you I wanted you to stay. Next time, I'll make sure I tell you."

"Thank you for understanding."

"No problem. I have to get back to my group now. I'll see you soon, ok?"

"Ok. Bye."

"Good bye Des." Leo said. He hung up the phone feeling a bit lighter knowing he could see Des in a couple of hours. If he made it through this tour.

****

Leo knocked on the apartment door and leaned against the wall to wait for Des. A moment later, Des opened the door and gave him a big smile but held his phone to his ear. Des gave him a kiss on his forehead as he listened to what was being said and motioned for Leo to have a seat on the couch. Des paced as he continued the conversation.

"That does not matter. Don't argue. Woman, you test my patience. IMPROPER? Ugh! I don't care how it looks. Hell, your stupid hag of a neighbor has half the neighborhood convinced that I've screwed everyone that's ever been in your house save the parakeets. It's not like anyone around there COULD think less of me thanks to her. Well it's not my fault she's completely repulsive. I don't care how 'beautiful' she is, she still disgusts me. I told you she would cause problems the day we viewed your house. Wait...not her? Then why? You must be joking. Are you serious? I can't take you shopping for your birthday because I'm dating someone? Your husband did not say that. Besides, you're not my type. You're too short." Des quickly pulled the phone away from his ear and flashed a mischievous grin at Leo while the woman screamed at him. "Stop screaming, you'll scare the birds. My type? Ohhhh...." He paused and narrowed his eyes at Leo, "About 1m90, black hair with stars, smooth dark skin, strong lean muscles and insanely beautiful chartreuse eyes." He said then bit his lip as Leo blushed. "Darling I really need to go. We can talk more about where we will shop tomorrow over lunch. Yes, he sits in my living room. Yes now. Yes....yes I know. Thank you for pointing out that I'm an idiot, I had not realized. Ha! Probably. Tell him I'll bring them. I love you both, good bye darling."

Des dropped the phone on the coffee table and sat heavily next to Leo, "I'm sorry about that."

Leo just stared at him, "What the fuck?"

Des laughed, "I know it sounds bad. I apologize. She's suddenly worried about how it will look if I take her shopping for her birthday as I usually do."

"Why?" Leo asked.

"She is worried about how it will look to you. She is ecstatic that I'm dating and doesn't want to cause problems." Des said.

"Umm...so, what about the neighbor?"

Des sighed, "She's a crazy witch who has harassed me since I...refused view her house...if you catch my meaning. She has said many nasty things about me and my friends in retaliation."

"You just can't seem to escape the crazies, can you?"

Des made a face, "No. It's always been a part of my life. I hope it doesn't effect us but...if it ever gets to be to much for you...I'll understand."

"Is that why you haven't dated since moving here?"

Des lay back on the couch and held his arms out to Leo. When Leo was comfortably cuddled up to him, he answered, "A very small part. There are many other reasons that I don't want to talk about. And it's not that I was against dating. I just...never met someone I felt was worth the effort. I never felt drawn to anyone. No one ever stood out enough to grab my attention. Not until you. You shine like the full moon on a dark night. You cannot be missed. I had to know you. Even if we only remained friends."

"I'm...I'm not anything special. I'm just an average guy." Leo said, laughing nervously.

Des kissed the top of his head, "You are much more than that, love. At least you are in my eyes."

"Do you often take your female friends shopping?"

Des smiled, "Not to often. But I am the one they tend to call when they shop for special events. They like to go shopping with me because I don't mind helping pick things or sitting through hours of fittings." Des said. "And I often do some shopping for myself as well. While I dislike being in crowds, I do occasionally enjoy simple pleasures such as shopping with friends."

Leo smiled, "Soooo you're like one of the girls? AHH! Joking! It was a joke!" he yelled when Des smacked him on top of his head.

Des pushed Leo off of him, and stared at him with wide eyes, "One of the girls? You call me one of the fucking girls?" he ground out as he pushed Leo back on the couch.

"I...I was kidding! It was a joke!" Leo said.

Des leaned down, brushing his lips over Leos ear, "Oh no, Mr. Spindler. Joke or not, today you find out exactly how little I have in common with the girls." He whispered. Des bit his ear just hard enough to make him gasp then kissed his way to the smart mouth, claiming his lips roughly. He pulled Leos shirt off then pinned his hands above his head. Des paused for a second to enjoy his view, "You are magnificent." He said softly before trailing kisses down Leos neck and across his chest, "I could kiss every sexy inch of your body." He said, kissing his way back up to Leos ear, "I want you, Leo. Can I take you?" he asked in a soft breathy whisper.

Leo looked up at Des and nodded slowly, "Yes."

Des gave him a seductive smile, "Wonderful, my love. I'm going to play with you for a while first though."

***

"Mmm, if you keep doing that, you will start something else." Leo said as Des kissed, licked and nibbled over every bit of his neck and shoulder he could reach from where he was laying.

They were still on the couch. Des lay behind Leo with his slender arms wrapped possessively around the muscled form of the man in front of him.

"I never said I was finished." Des replied with a grin. He felt Leo shiver slightly and he laughed, "Are you excited or cold?"

Leo blushed, "A bit of both, I think. You keep it damn cool in here."

"Do you want to go to bed?"

"It's to early for bed."

Des nibbled his ear, "I did not mean to sleep, my sexy love."

Leo laughed as Des nibbled down his neck, "In a mood, are we?"

"Yes. Do you mind?" he asked playfully.

"Not at all. But you still have to wear those pajamas for me later."

Des buried his face in Leo's neck and laughed, "Nooooo, you were supposed to forget that!"

"NEVER!" Leo said loudly then laughed. "Don't think you can make me forget just by ravishing me!" he said then laughed even harder when Des raised up and started biting playfully at the tender area between Leos neck and shoulder, "Stop it! That tickles! AHHHHH!" he roared and wiggled around until he was able to roll over to face Des, "Ha! I have you now." He said before all but attacking Des in a passionate kiss. They stayed with their lips locked together for several minutes, barely parting enough to breathe before Des pulled away.

"Oh, I'm a bit dizzy, I need to breathe." He said, taking several deep breaths. Once he'd recovered his breath he kissed Leos cheek, "Leo, would you mind if I took a picture of you?"

"Why?"

Des blushed, "So I can see you when you're not here. Your smile always makes me feel better."

Leo gave him a quick kiss, "We can take one together and you send it to me."

"Ok. That's even better. That's proof I'm not making you up." He laughed.

Leo shook his head, "Who would accuse you of doing that?"

"Damn women, that's who." Des sighed.

"Soooo, you like the harpies."

"What?"

Leo grinned, "You know, the women with a lot of extra bite."

"Leo, the only one who has bitten me lately, is you. I have marks to prove it." Des replied.

Leo waggled his eyebrows, "Do you want a few more?"

"Want to make sure everyone knows I'm claimed?" Des asked.

Leo blushed, "Maybe. I'm a bit...territorial."

Des smiled, "I never understood the need to mark your partner. Not until I woke up the other morning covered in your marks and saw you covered in mine. Now I understand."

"You don't mind?"

"It's...a bit embarrassing. I won't lie. But no, I don't mind. I don't mind people knowing were together. Not that I want to advertise, I prefer my privacy...but being with you is not something I will ever be ashamed of."

Leo smiled, it was almost a sad smile, "You say that now..."

"Leo, you're a wonderful man, in many ways. I am very happy to not only have met you but to be able to be here, with you, in this way. I only hope you don't eventually find me boring." Des said softly.

Leo kissed his nose, "You're not boring. You're quiet and calm. You're peaceful. At least, that's how I feel when I'm with you."

Des laughed, "For you, I feel the exact opposite. Excited, adventurous and fun. We are nothing alike."

"Don't you think that will be a problem later on? If we have nothing in common, what will we do? What will we talk about?" Leo asked.

"No, love. It's not a problem. It just means we have that much more to share with each other. It's that much more to give and receive. Think about it. I can teach you to cook and bake, you can teach me one of the languages you speak. Together we could build ourselves up and be better men." Des explained.

Leo thought for a moment, "I like that. I've never thought of it that way."

"See? Already can we see things different." Des said, smiling proudly.

"Well, that's because you are amazing."

"No more than you, my love." Des said before placing a gentle kiss on Leo's lips. Des pulled down the soft throw blanket from the back of the couch to cover them and stop Leos shivering. They lay on the couch like that for long time, kissing, cuddling and talking until they realized it was after 8 and Des needed to do a walk through of the café. "It will only take a minute. I'll be right back. " he said after getting dressed.

Leo lay on the couch under the warm blanket, waiting for Des to return. He closed his eyes and sighed with a happy smile on his face. After a few minutes he heard the door close.

"Welcome back beautiful."

"You look very comfortable." Des said, sitting on the edge of the couch.

"I am. Comfortable and happy."

Des put a hand on Leos cheek, "Would you like something to eat? I'll make dinner."

"Nooo, we can order something. I don't want you cooking. I want you with me." Leo said.

"Sweetheart, I am with you."

"I mean in my arms. Sitting next to me or at least holding my hand."

"Territorial and possessive?" Des asked with a grin.

Leo gave him a strained smile, "Not my best qualities." He said sadly.

"I like it."

Leo looked at him as if he were crazy, "No one likes it, Des." Leo sighed.

"I do. I like being important enough to make you feel that way." Des said. "Just don't hit the suitors. It's bad for business."

Leo laughed, "Hey, no promises. If I catch one grabbing on you like that creep the other day..."

"If someone other than you grabs my ass, you won't need to hit them. I will." Des said.

"Can you land a punch?" Leo asked with a grin.

Des gave a small smile, "I think I can manage." He said softly. "So...food?" he said changing the subject.

"What do you want?" Leo asked. When Des grinned at him and raked his gaze across Leo's body, he blushed, "That's called cannibalism and its frowned upon in modern society."

Des stared at him for a moment before laughter burst from his lips, "Leo! You're insane!"

"That's not true! I know, I've been tested!"

Des laughed even more, "There's a Japanese restaurant not far from here that delivers, would that be ok?"

"I could make several jokes about that, but I shall refrain. Yes, that will be fine." He replied and sat up to dig through his clothes for his wallet.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to pay for the food."

"No. You are not. My treat." Des said, putting the phone to his ear. Leo scowled at him and Des stuck his tongue out in return. While Des was ordering the food, Leo got up and got dressed. When Des hung up, he turned to Leo and immediately began to pout, "Aww, why did you get dressed?"

Leo laughed, "I'm not walking around your apartment naked."

"It wouldn't bother me if you did." Des said.

Leo blushed, "You don't need to see this mess roaming around."

Des crossed the room and pulled Leo into a hug, "I don't see a mess. You are gorgeous, Leo."

"Bah, whatever." Leo said.

Des pulled back and looked down at Leo, "You don't believe me?"

"I don't agree with you."

"Why?"

Leo looked away, "I...I just don't. I'm the guy you hide from your family, not the one you bring home to meet them. I'm the bad boy with a tattoo, the one you use to feel rebellious and wild. I'm not the guy who is valued or even taken seriously for more than something to pass the time until a better opportunity shows up. I'm not a keeper, Des. I never have been." He said sadly. Des took his chin and lifted his face to look in his eyes. When Leo looked into his amber eyes, they looked aflame with anger, "Ahh, did I say something to upset you?"

"Everything you just said upsets me greatly. What jackass managed to convince you of that ...shit you just said?"

"Heh, everyone I've ever dated..."

"You do not deserve that treatment. You deserve the best there is to be offered. You ARE NOT something to pass the time. You will never be that to me. You ARE the something better that I've been waiting for." Des said softly.

Leo just stared up at Des as tears welled up in his eyes. He quickly turned away and wiped his eyes, "Soo, ummm, when will the food be here?" he asked with a strained voice.

"Look at me, Leo." Des said. Leo just shook his head so Des came up behind him and hugged him, "I did not mean to upset you. I just wanted you to know how I see you."

"I'm not upset. Just...I don't know."

"It's ok. You don't have to explain." Des said, kissing his cheek. "Do you want to watch some TV or a movie? I have a large collection, I'm sure I must have something you haven't seen."

Leo nodded, "Ok, let's take a look."

Des turned him around and wiped the bit of moisture from beneath his eyes then leaned down and kissed him softly. "I'm sorry I touched on something sensitive for you. I fear I may do it again. I don't like how you view yourself and I wish to help you change it. You are far to wonderful to view yourself so hatefully."

"Umm, can we....not talk about this?"

"As you wish. If you look in the cabinet beneath the TV, there are several cases of movies. Take your pick." Des said then chuckled and blushed, "Hopefully you won't think me to weird when you look through them. I'm a bit of a sci-fi / horror nerd."

"What? You? Seriously? I would NEVER have guessed that." Leo said laughing.

"It's a well guarded secret. Don't tell on me. People see me as a delicate flower, it's good for business." Des said with a wink.

Leo laughed, "I get to know the dirty truth? I like it."

"Well, some of the truth, there must be SOME mystery." Des replied with a wicked grin. "I'm going to go wait for the delivery guy, they are always early. Our dinner will probably be here any minute."

"Ok, I'll be waiting."

Des laughed and headed to the door, "By the time I get back, you'll think I'm insane!"

"You're dating me, I already think your insane!"

"I'll take my straight jacket in black please!" Des said from the stairs.

"Black? You are weird." Leo muttered as he sat in the floor in front of the TV and started going through the movies. He started flipping through the first case and officially thought Des was weird. There was NOTHING but horror movies. Leo hated horror movies. HATED them. He moved to the next case, sci-fi horror, "What the hell, Des?" Leo grumbled. The next case was more his speed, romantic comedies, a few action, and absolutely nothing he actually cared to watch.

Des came back in carrying a bag, "Dinner is here." He called.

"You are weird!!" Leo called.

Des laughed, "I knew you would think so. Please don't hate me."

"I could never hate you, but I still think your weird. Sexy, hot, beautiful, amazing in every way...but fucking weird."

"Ummm, I'm almost annoyed with you, but not quite." Des said, leaning his head to one side as if thinking.

"Almost but not quite, I'll take it." Leo said. "Do you have any normal movies?"

"Define normal?"

"Not sci-fi, not horror and not sci-fi horror."

"Ahhh, I think the one you're looking at is all that you might consider normal." Des said hesitantly.

"I was afraid of that. For future reference, I pick the movies. Always." Leo said.

"You don't like the horror movies? They are great!"

"eeehhhhh, not a fan..."

"And I'm the weird one?"

"Definitely the weird one. What did you order?"

"Food." Des said plainly.

Leo opened his mouth to reply then paused, "Wha...what kind? Do not say Japanese!"

"Ahh, you are no fun. Sushi, tempura and miso soup. And I have something for desert I made earlier." Des replied.

"That's...ahhh a bit of food Des."

"I could not decide what I wanted. So I got one of each. If we split it up, it will be just right." Des said.

Leo laughed, "Oh so there are 2 more people coming?"

"What?"

"That's enough food for 4 people, Des."

"Or us of we are up half the night and want something later." Des replied.

"Ahhh, you don't get up early tomorrow for your appointments?" Leo asked.

"On Sundays, early is 9ish. Heavy on the ish. I usually just sit around in my pajamas on Saturday nights and watch a few movies or play around in the kitchen with new recipes. Then sleep late on Sunday." Des said. "Do you need to be somewhere early tomorrow?"

"Oh no. I was just worried I would make you late."

"No. Actually I'm not doing anything but getting my hair cut then going to lunch with my friends from the call earlier." Des explained.

"Ahh. Ok. Trying anything new?"

"New?" Des asked as he set the table.

Leo started unpacking the food, "Yeah, with your hair?"

"Oh, lord no. It's been like this for a long time and I don't see myself changing it any time soon."

"This style suits you well, though I don't imagine there's one you wouldn't look beautiful with." Leo said smiling at Des.

Des blushed, "Thank you. Do you ever think of changing your style?"

Leo shook his head, "Never. Never, ever! These stars are forever."

Des laughed, "You will be the crazy old man with stars in your hair?"

"Absolutely. They are my signature feature."

"Hmm, no. That would be your eyes. They are quite stunning." Des said with small smile.

Leo blushed, "I have weird eyes."

"They are beautiful and that is final." Des said. "Now, lets eat."

****

Des sighed, "Why can't we watch one of my movies? There's nothing on TV."

"I don't want to watch horror movies and the other stuff I've seen several times."

"Ok. What do you want to do then?" Des asked.

Leo slid closer to Des on the couch and pulled him onto his arms, "I'm with you, it doesn't matter what we do. I just want to be with you."

Des narrowed his eyes, "Ok. To the kitchen."

"What?"

"We are going to make something. Like I said, usually on Saturday nights I either watch a few movies or play around in the kitchen. You don't like my awesome collection of movies, so we bake. I will teach you to make cookies." He said with a smile.

"Cookies?"

"Yes."

"What kind?"

"Hmmm, I have the ingredients for quite a few types. We can make anything chocolate you want, peanut butter, oatmeal, sugar cookie, macaroons...a lot of things." Des replied.

"How about something simple, chocolate chips." Leo suggested.

Des smiled, "Good. Lets see what mess we can make?" he said. He took Leos hand and pulled him into the kitchen. They spent the next hour or so making a few batches of cookies. Leo watched and helped mix while Des explained about proper measurements and ingredients. He even went so far as to explain some of the science and chemistry behind how the ingredients reacted during the baking process which surprised Leo.

"You learned all of that in a cooking school?" Leo asked.

Des shot him a patient but slightly annoyed look, "Culinary Institute actually. Not just a school. One of the best. My focus was pastry and barista. I also did a lot of general classes on how things worked because...well, I liked to know how different ingredients would react so I could better create new recipes."

"Ahhh, ok. Sorry. Culinary Institute. It's very impressive either way. I did not realize you were so well studied." Leo said.

Des turned to him and crossed his arms, "That's a very careful way of saying you didn't think I was this smart."

Leos eyes went wide, "NO NO! Sorry! That's not what I meant! I just mean that...I uhh I didn't realize there was so much to cooking and you seem to know a great deal more than I thought possible. I know your are incredibly intelligent! You wouldn't be so successful with the café if you weren't. You certainly wouldn't have half a library scattered throughout your apartment on such a wide range of topics." He paused to take a breath, still trying to figure out how to take back his previous statement. He became more and more nervous as Des just stared at him. "I'm sorry?"

Des leaned down enough to give him a quick kiss, "You're forgiven. This time." He said before turning back to the oven to check the batch inside.

Leo winced, "I really didn't mean it like that. I swear." He said. He waited until Des finished with the cookies and carefully pulled him close, "Please don't be angry."

Des gave him a small smile, "I'm not angry. It just...bothers me that you might see me as...plain or...bland."

Leo smiled up at him, "You are the least plain person I have ever met and the more I learn about you, the more interesting you become."

Des pouted slightly, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, baby. I'm very sure." Leo said. He reached up and placed his hand on Des cheek, "Don't worry. You are not plain or bland or boring. I enjoy being with you, YOU Des, it doesn't matter what we do."

Des blushed, "Thank you, love. Are you ready for cookies?"

Leo raised up enough to kiss Des on the cheek, "In a minute, I'm not done convincing you yet." He said then kissed him on the lips. He felt Des slip his arms around him and deepened the kiss. Des groaned when the oven timer went off and he pulled away to check the cookies again.

"Damn cookies." Des mumbled as he pulled the pan from the oven.

Leo smiled, "Annoyed at the cookies for interrupting our kisses?"

Des smiled and bit his lip, "A bit. I enjoy your kisses."

"Well, we can take a stack of cookies and continue...?" Leo suggested.

Des narrowed his eyes, "Are the cookies even necessary?"

Leo laughed, "No. But I'd like to test our work if you don't mind. Then we can continue with the kisses...and maybe more?"

Des reached behind him, took a cookie and held it before Leos lips, "Here. Test."

Leo bit the cookie and narrowed his eyes, "It's missing something."

Des eyes widened, "Missing something?! MY cookies are mis..."

Leo cut him off with a deeply passionate kiss and didn't release him until both were seeing stars, "That's...much better."

"Ahhh...what exactly where the cookies missing?"

"The cookies? The cookies were perfect. I was missing your kisses." Leo said with a mischievous grin.

Des laughed and kissed him again while slowly leading him to the bedroom.

****

"You know...you've had your way with me several times tonight and I have yet to have my pajama show." Leo said with a evil grin. He was laying on his side next Des with his head propped up on one arm. With his free hand he held one of the slender, delicate hands of the man beside him. 

Des blushed at Leos words, "What do I have to do to make you forget about that?" 

"Wear them." 

"I will remember in the future to never confess embarrassing things to you." Des grumbled. 

"We had a deal, my beautiful Des. You said that thoughts of me drove you half out of your mind, I wish to see it." Leo said sweetly. 

"You are horrible." 

Leo gave Des his best puppy eyes and an exaggerated pout, "Pleeeeaaaase?" 

Des eyes went wide, "Oh no! That's not fair! Don't look at me like that! You're terrible! Don't look at me! That pitiful face is heart rending." 

"Pretty please?" Leo asked sweetly, adding a slight flutter of his eyelashes. 

"Ugh!" Des cried and sat up. He left the bed and stalked across the room to his dresser. "You are so damn cute it makes me sick! I cant stand it." He grumbled almost to himself as he took out the annoyingly embarrassing set of pajamas and began to put them on. He stood facing away from Leo as he put the shirt on. 

Leo lay in bed with a wide grin on his face, much to pleased with himself at having gotten his way. When Des finally turned around, the grin grew even more and he had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. The look in Des eyes dared him to laugh. Leo was certain that even a small chuckle would end with him thrown out on his ass...probably even before he managed to get dressed. He worked hard to control himself, "It's...umm...it's ahhhh...definitely...different?" 

"I look ridiculous." Des pouted.

"I think its cute. You're always so formal. Is that why they gave you this? To make you loosen up or because you have a secret goofy side that actually enjoys this?" Leo asked with a sly smile. 

"I do not enjoy this." 

"I think you do. You're putting tomatoes to shame with how red your cheeks are." Leo said as he sat up in the bed just a bit, "Come here, my beautiful." 

Des crossed his arms and looked away, "I will not." 

"If you don't, I'll have to come get you." 

"No." Des replied and headed for the bedroom door. Leo was out of the bed and had his arms around Des waist before he could step foot into the hall way. He yelped in surprise as Leo dragged him back to bed, "Leo!" 

Leo pulled him onto the bed and pinned him there, looking down with his charming smile, "I said I'd come get you. You do not look ridiculous. You look adorable." He said gently as he caressed the taller mans pale cheek. "Please don't run from me..." he added softly. 

Des could see a slight hint of fear in the chartreuse eyes above him when the last words were spoke, "I'd prefer to run to you, my love." 

Leo gave him a shy smile, "Really?" 

Des reached up and put a hand on Leos cheek, "Yes. I really would be crazy to run from someone as wonderful as you." 

Leo blushed and looked away, "You say silly things."

Des smiled and pulled Leo down, kissing him softly. 

**** 

The next morning found Leo waking with a contented smile on his face. The smell of fresh coffee and bacon had him sitting up and looking around for the beautiful man who made it. Not finding Des in the room, he got dressed and wandered into the kitchen to find Des in front of the stove working on breakfast. Leo made his way to the taller mans side, "Good morning, love." He said as he put his hand on the small of Des back. 

Des jumped slightly then laughed at himself. He was still not use to someone else being in his home, "Oh. Good morning, Leo. You startled me." 

"I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention." 

"It's ok. I'm just not use to anyone else being here. I was lost in my thoughts." Des said with a smile. 

Leo raised up and gave Des a quick kiss, "What were you thinking about?" 

Des smile became strained, "Mostly about how very happy I am right now." 

"Do I have something to do with that?" Leo asked hopefully. 

"Quite a lot, actually." 

Leo rubbed his hand over Des back, "I hope I can always bring you happiness." 

"Always?" 

Leo blushed, "Is it to soon to hope for always?" 

"It's never to soon for hope, my love." He replied then leaned down to kiss Leos cheek and whispered in his ear, "Especially if it's a shared hope." 

The smile on Leos face seemed brighter than the sun itself as he slipped his arms around Des waist and held him in a hug that made Des heart flutter. For a moment, Des was able to forget the root of his thoughts, his fears of being this happy and how every time he'd ever found a reason to be happy, it was either taken away or false from the start.

The light fluttering feeling he felt in his chest every time Leo smiled at him was so wonderful. He hoped with everything in him, that this time, he'd get to keep what brought him true happiness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Thanks for reading this far. Comments & suggestions are welcome. The next parts will be a lot of 'slice of life' for both versions of Des. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> -Jax


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